A hydrogen corridor between Oslo and Hamburg
Project overview
Partners
million € For subsidies in EU hydrogen bank
The Hydrogen Bank will be launched in the EU from the fall of 2023 with an initial funding of €800 million, which is intended to partially subsidize the production of green hydrogen.
Million tonnes of renewable hydrogen
Will be produced in the EU by 2030. The priority for the EU is to develop renewable, green hydrogen. The European Commission has also proposed to import 10 million tonnes by 2030.
KM BETWEEN EACH REFUELING STATION
%
EU funding
HYDROGEN REFUELING STATIONS
4 hydrogen refueling stations will be implemented in Germany, 4 in Denmark and 4 in Sweden. These will together with two privately financed stations in Norway constitute the hydrogen corridor in the STRING megaregion.
The GREATER4H project will
- Develop a hydrogen corridor by deploying 14 hydrogen refueling stations in the STRING Megaregion from Hamburg to Oslo.
- Establish a public-private partnership between local and regional governments and three private partners on the green transition of road transport in the STRING region.
- Accelerate the implementation of green hydrogen infrastructure and contribute to achieving European and national emission reductions targets and make Northern Europe a front-runner region for the deployment of hydrogen
- Support an increased market share for green hydrogen by filling in the ‘white spots’ of alternative fuel infrastructure for HDVs with hydrogen technology
GREATER4H has been recognized by the European Commission as an unexampled project by having three competing companies working together to deploy and implement a network of hydrogen refuelling stations from Hamburg to Oslo, paving the way for a carbon neutral planet, and improving quality of life for its citizens.
Everfuel provides the missing link between renewable energy and green transportation and production – making hydrogen happening across Europe.
Everfuel will facilitate the complete hydrogen value chain from hydrogen production to point of delivery. This enables Everfuel’s objectives and activities to expand rapidly and provide competitive hydrogen prices to end-users.
Everfuel provides 8 stations in the GREATER4H hydrogen corridor.
For more information, see: www.everfuel.com
Founded in 2009 with the conviction that 100% renewable energy supply is feasible, GP JOULE is today a system provider for integrated energy solutions from sun, wind and biomass as well as a partner at the supply level for electricity, heat, hydrogen and electro mobility. As a pioneer in sector coupling, the medium-sized group of companies employs over 500 people in Germany, Europe and North America.
GP Joule provides 2 stations in the GREATER4H hydrogen corridor.
For more information, see: www.gp-joule.com
Hynion is a dynamic company with extensive experience in the development and sale of green hydrogen fuel for the transport sector. The main business is to sell hydrogen fuel to hydrogen-powered personal vehicles, taxis, busses, and trucks in Scandinavia through owned hydrogen stations. The company builds on the legacy of Norsk Hydro, Statoil (today Equinor) and HYOP, and has two decades of expertise in technology design, development, construction and operation of hydrogen stations. Hynion has sold hydrogen fuel since 2007, and is among the largest and most experienced hydrogen fuel companies in Scandinavia. The company presently operates four stations in Norway and Sweden, with additional three to the open in 2023. Furthermore, another two stations will be opened in Sweden during 2025, as a part of the Greater4H project.
Hynion´s hydrogen stations are based on proprietary technology, which is continuous developing into next-generation stations. The company collaborates with hydrogen production companies, in addition to operate a wide network of partnerships with manufacturers of hydrogen vehicles, such as Toyota and Hyundai. Furthermore, Hynion has partnerships with a number of purchasers of hydrogen fuel, including taxi companies in Norway and Sweden, and larger transport companies such as Renova and X-trafik in Sweden.
For more information, see: www.hynion.com
GREATER4H is a public-private partnership between 10 STRING members and three private partners on the green transition of road transport in the STRING region. STRING is a political member organisation for local and regional authorities in Northern Europe. The established practices and a strong existing network of the STRING members will enable strong support and commitment from the public sector to GREATER4H throughout the project duration and beyond. This is a crucial commitment to accelerate the rollout of a green hydrogen infrastructure in Northern Europe.
The Norwegian capital’s ambitious goal of reducing 95 percent of its carbon emissions by 2030 is driven by a unique policy approach: a world-first carbon budget, which works side by side with the financial budget and clearly states what needs to be done, by whom and when for the city to reach its climate goals.
The city council of Oslo is aiming at reducing emissions from the transport sector in Oslo municipality and part of the work to accelerate the transition to an emission-free capital the zero-emission city, the clean zero-emission technologies (electricity and hydrogen) will form a large part of the solution to avoid greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and machinery. Hydrogen is an important part of the climate solution for heavy-duty vehicles, construction machinery and ships.
The capital region has 1.8 million inhabitants, which constitutes 31.7% of the population of Denmark in 6% of its land area. 50% of its citizens get by without a car on a daily basis.
For the Capital Region to remain a responsible, green and innovative metropolis with high growth and quality of life in a rapidly changing world, they have a great focus on cooperation. Their goal is to look beyond regional and national borders to source and provide inspiration to solve the climate challenges. Therfore they are a part of GREATER4H – to cooperate cross-border for a greener future.
In 2020, Region Zealand took the initiative together with Schleswig-Holstein for a preliminary project to create support and find funding for the establishment of a hydrogen corridor from Hamburg to Oslo. This has resulted in GREATER4H.
In Denmark, the goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by 70% by 2030. In order to contribute to that goal, Region Zealand will switch its energy supply from fossil fuels to renewable energy in the coming years. At the same time, the region will use less energy, so that the goal of a renewable energy supply will be easier to achieve. Region Zealand focuses on green transport as well as energy savings in the operation of public buildings.
Region Halland has good conditions to cope with the green transition, with good living environments and good natural resources, great knowledge and a well-developed structure for industry, logistics and entrepreneurship in the areas of land, forest and water. Region Halland’s work contributes to Halland’s business life coping with, and being able to benefit from, the green transition.
In Halland, it is mainly transport, energy consumption and agriculture that have a negative climate impact. Region Halland’s work for sustainable development is based on knowledge and analyses. They have chosen to focus on environmental and climate work on these areas:
- Renewable energy
- Carbon-neutral economy
- Fossil-free and sustainable resource management
- Fossil-free transport
Region Halland works together with the municipalities of Halland, Hallandstrafiken and the Swedish Transport Administration to achieve sustainable travel and sustainable transport.
Västra Götaland has one of the most ambitious regional climate targets in Sweden. They have declared that by 2030 they will no longer be dependent on fossil energy. That means that in 2030, emissions of greenhouse gases will be reduced by 80 % compared with levels in 1990. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions caused by the consumption of the residents of western Sweden, no matter where in the world they occur, will decrease by 30 % compared with 2010.
One of the prioritised focus areas of the region is sustainable transport. This includes efforts to faster change to fossil-free vehicles and develop efficient transport of goods. This is what GREATER4H works for and is a tangible project working for the goals of the region.
The county municipality and the municipalities in Viken have ambitious climate targets for the Viken community. In order to achieve the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it is absolutely essential that public enterprises contribute to the restructuring of the transport sector.
Between 2009 and 2017, direct emissions in Viken fell by 9.5 per cent, or 449,000 tonnes. But to become a low-emission society by 2030, major cuts and changes must be implemented immediately.
For the transport sector in Viken, the ambition is for goods and services to be transported with fossil-free vehicles, preferably vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen and biogas.
As the project coordinator, Schleswig-Holstein has a major role in the project and the development of the hydrogen corridor.
One of the overarching goals of Schleswig-Holstein is to harmonize economic and ecological interests. A profitable and innovative economy coupled with the location-specific advantages offered by an intact cultivated landscape with pure water and clean air is most in tune with the protection of nature. This vision forms the indispensible, long-term foundation upon which a livable Schleswig-Holstein and successful economic activity rests.
Since three quarters of Schleswig-Holstein’s borders are demarcated by the waters of the Elbe River, the Baltic and the North Sea, coastal and ocean protection and flood control naturally play an important role as well.Moreover, the fields of climate protection, nature conservation and the protection of endangered species are given high priority in Schleswig-Holstein.
Västra Götaland has one of the most ambitious regional climate targets in Sweden. They have declared that by 2030 they will no longer be dependent on fossil energy. That means that in 2030, emissions of greenhouse gases will be reduced by 80 % compared with levels in 1990. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions caused by the consumption of the residents of western Sweden, no matter where in the world they occur, will decrease by 30 % compared with 2010.
One of the prioritised focus areas of the region is sustainable transport. This includes efforts to faster change to fossil-free vehicles and develop efficient transport of goods. This is what GREATER4H works for and is a tangible project working for the goals of the region.
Region Southern Denmark’s climate work has three goals in mind:
- Reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in Region Southern Denmark.
- Transition to a more circular economy with more efficient use of resources, including raw materials.
- Reduce negative consequences of elevated water levels and extreme weather.
In order to achieve a green transition within transport, new solutions for heavy transport are required. Region Southern Denmark wants, by entering into a collaboration with knowledge institutions and the industry, to develop solutions that make the heavy greener transport. Partly through the use of alternative fuels, such as biogas and hydrogen, and partly by reducing freight transport. Part of the task will be to prepare our own regional buses for the green transition. This effort presented by Region Southern Denmark’s mobility strategy.
As the project coordinator, Schleswig-Holstein has a major role in the project and the development of the hydrogen corridor.
One of the overarching goals of Schleswig-Holstein is to harmonize economic and ecological interests. A profitable and innovative economy coupled with the location-specific advantages offered by an intact cultivated landscape with pure water and clean air is most in tune with the protection of nature. This vision forms the indispensible, long-term foundation upon which a livable Schleswig-Holstein and successful economic activity rests.
Since three quarters of Schleswig-Holstein’s borders are demarcated by the waters of the Elbe River, the Baltic and the North Sea, coastal and ocean protection and flood control naturally play an important role as well.Moreover, the fields of climate protection, nature conservation and the protection of endangered species are given high priority in Schleswig-Holstein.
News, reports and events
GREATER4H AT HANNOVER FAIR
GREATER4H joined Hannover Fair to present the hydrogen corridor project for Norwegian and German stakeholders and politicians.
GRANT AGREEMENT FOR GREATER4H SIGNED IN BRUSSELS
Paloma Aba Garrote, Acting Director of CINEA, and Minister Mr. Werner Schwarz signs Grant Agreement for 12.4 millions euros to the GREATER4H Hydrogen Project
GREATER4H Kick-off, European parliament March 27, 2023
On March 27, 2023 STRING and Land Schleswig-Holstein are initiating the GREATER4H Hydrogen project by bringing together policy makers from the STRING megaregion as well as participants from the hydrogen industry and representatives of the European Institutions DG...
Further reading
Project overview
GREATER4H implements 14 hydrogen refueling stations between Oslo and Hamburg.
Why Hydrogen?
Find out more about why we choose to accelerate the implementation of green hydrogen infrastructure.
News & reports
Read news about the project and full reports related to the development of GREATER4H.
CONTACT
The project secretariat
PROJECT DETAILS
GREATER4H consists of rolling out 14 publicly accessible hydrogen refueling stations within the STRING megaregion. As a result the project will help accelerate the decarbonisation of the EU transport sector by developing hydrogen infrastructure along the Scandinavian–Mediterranean TEN-T network in line with the EU Hydrogen Strategy that calls for a rapid decarbonisation of road transport in Europe.
GREATER4H is a public-private partnership between local and regional governments and three private hydrogen companies; Everfuel, Hynion, and GP Joule. The three companies will be implementing 4 HRS in Germany, 4 HRS in Denmark and 4 HRS in Swed The 14 stations will be placed in locations that secure a maximum distance of 150 km between stations on average. en. The stations will be 24/7 accessible with 350 and 700 bar dispensers open to the public.
This is an effort to decarbonise the EU transport system enabling long range, heavy-duty road transport with zero emission from Oslo to Hamburg. Heavy-duty vehicles are currently responsible for 27% of CO2 emissions from road transport in the EU. Despite EU regulation calling for a 30% reduction by 2030, emissions have continuously been rising since 1990.
Simultaneously, heavy-duty vehicles are a key player in ensuring a competitive trading system that provides Northern Europe with exports, jobs and a healthy economy. A reduction of such necessary trade would be detrimental to the economy of the region; therefore, a green transition of heavy-duty vehicles from fossil fuel to new alternative fuels is a cornerstone in building a greener economy. The overall objective of the GREATER4H project is to facilitate and support the heavy transport sector’s transition to renewable fuels in Northern Europe.