Prestudy on hydrogen pipeline around the Bothnian Bay

Hydrogen will play an increasingly important role in the transformation of the energy system and in industry's shift to fossil-free production. The study will develop scenarios for how hydrogen can be used in the energy system in northern Sweden and Finland. 

"The major change that is now taking place, not least in northern Sweden, is an industrial revolution that attracts global capital, strengthens Swedish competitiveness and makes industry more sustainable. But conversion requires a changed energy system. We´ll see how a hydrogen infrastructure in interaction with the development of electricity production and the power grid could provide socio-economic and business economic benefits, Johan Sandstedt says, Research and Business developer at RISE.

The pre-study is based on the needs and potential in Sweden and Finland. The analysis includes the major wind farms and hydrogen projects that are underway in the region. RISE's Finnish counterpart, the VTT research institute, is conducting a similar pre-study in parallel.

"In our pre-study, we will, among other things, analyze how a hydrogen infrastructure around the Gulf of Bothnia can interact with the power grid and where the hydrogen gas can be stored. Our aim is also to develop co-operation networks in Finland and between Finland and Sweden, as well as to map the business opportunities that a hydrogen network in the Finnish Ostrobothnia region provides. The investigation will be completed in the autumn of 2022",  Juha Lehtonen says, a Research Professor VTT Technical Research.

The Swedish pilot study is due to be completed this autumn. Industrial partners are Linde Gas, Fu-Gen, Lhyfe, LKAB, Svenska Kraftnät, Skellefteå Kraft, Uniper (Sydkraft AB,) ST1, ABB, Fortum, H2 Green Steel, Liquid Wind, Nordion Energi, Vattenfall, Business Sweden, SSAB (TBE) and Sweco.