Vallourec Contributes to Norwegian Energy Research Initiative HYDROGENi
Continuing its commitment to developing solutions and expanding knowledge for the energy transition, Vallourec is proud to participate in Norway’s HYDROGENi: a new center for environment-friendly energy research (FME) dedicated to clean hydrogen and hydrogen-based energy carriers.
Clean H2 and H2-based energy carriers such as ammonia (NH3) are crucial to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and a big scale-up in terms of research and innovations is needed in order to meet this target. This is the main objective of the HYDROGENi research center in Norway, which recently received the support of the Research Council of Norway’s investment.
The HYDROGENi proposal has enlisted a strong cluster of over 50 industrial and academic partners around Europe to bring together strong knowledge and expertise across the field in order to fill current technical gaps and to contribute to developing new innovations for the hydrogen market.
It is in this context that Vallourec decided to take part in the project by providing HYDROGENi with technical and business support as well as results of independent studies and of research work related to the project.
The HYDROGENi center will be led by Nils Røkke of SINTEF, one of the largest independent research organizations in Northern Europe. “The strong support from industry demonstrates the relevance of the centre’s thematic activities, with its unparalleled international network and links. We aim to establish HYDROGENi as a lighthouse for European research within the area of hydrogen, building upon our sizeable portfolio of EU-funded programmes and initiatives that create true added value,” says Røkke.
The center’s work to build a sustainable hydrogen economy will focus on four main research areas: cost-efficient and scalable production; transport and storage in Norway and Europe; end-use technologies; and safety and material integrity.
Vallourec is already deeply engaged in research and testing work on hydrogen applications, with a key focus on safety and material integrity. In particular, the group is validating materials for safe hydrogen transport and storage, and qualifying tightness of VAM® 21 connections to ensure safe underground hydrogen storage.
