SANDNES: Horisont Energi, the Norwegian carbon tech start-up, is further expanding its commitment to clean energy by joining the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance (ECH2A).

The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance was formed as part of the European Union’s New Industrial Strategy for Europe in July 2020 in the context of the hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe.

The alliance aims at an ambitious deployment of hydrogen technologies by 2030, bringing together renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production, demand in industry, mobility and other sectors, and hydrogen transmission and distribution. With the alliance, the EU wants to build its global leadership in this domain, to support the EU’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Horisont Energi is in the process of developing the first large-scale greenfield blue ammonia plant in Europe, which includes planned CO2 storage offshore.

The Barents Blue project in Finnmark, northern Norway, will convert gas into blue ammonia with close to zero emissions, based on autothermal reforming. The Barents Blue plant will produce more than 1 million tons of blue ammonia once operational in 2025. Ammonia is an easily transported hydrogen carrier, which can be converted back to hydrogen at the destination or used directly in many applications.

“The extensive use of hydrogen and ammonia hold significant de-carbonisation potential for the industry, transport, agriculture and energy sectors. Horisont Energi aims to be an integral part of the development of cost-leading blue ammonia and carbon storage services in Norway and internationally, serving as an enabler of the carbon-neutral energy future. I am therefore pleased that we will now able to contribute our expertise to the alliance and look forward to collaborating with its members,” said Bjørgulf Haukelidsæter Eidesen, CEO of Horisont Energi.

Hydrogen is an environment and climate-friendly energy carrier and even more so when packed as ammonia. It allows close to emission-free production, storage and utilisation of energy. Developing hydrogen technology and markets is a key element of the European Union’s plan to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

On April 21, 2021, Enova announced that Horisont Energi was one of five candidate hydrogen projects in Norway for possible participation in the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on hydrogen.

The Alliance does not have its own funding, but it provides its members with the following opportunities:

• Visibility towards private and public investors, facilitating meetings that can provide opportunities for financing

• Support matchmaking between members of the Alliance to foster and strengthen partnerships, and collaborate on major projects along the European value chain

• Refer to projects in discussions around framework to provide the conditions for building up a robust pipeline of investments

Horisont Energi is a Norwegian carbon tech start-up focusing on carbon sequestration and production of carbon neutral hydrogen and ammonia. The company is developing production plants for these products ashore with the carbon sequestration infrastructure on the Norwegian continental shelf. The company is also commercialising carbon sequestration for the European market. www.horisontenergi.no