Fastest way to emission-free hydrogen

Emission-free hydrogen from gas can be delivered as soon as Longship is in place in 2024. Bellona and ZEG Power are now entering into a collaboration on hydrogen and carbon-negative solutions.

– We must think big to solve both the climate problem and energy needs, deliver zero emission solutions and contribute to remove CO2 from the cycle, says Kathrine Ryengen in ZEG Power.

Since the launch of the EU Green Deal in 2019, the outlook for Norwegian energy exports has changed significantly. The EU will phase out Norwegian gas and will need large amounts of emission-free hydrogen. Hydrogen has also received considerable political attention in Norway, including from Prime Minister Erna Solberg and in the government’s climate plan.

– Norway has every opportunity to build industry and new value creation on a global need for emission-free solutions. ZEG Power is just such a company, and a spearhead in the work for industrialization of emission-free hydrogen production, says founder Frederic Hauge in Bellona.

Kickstart on the hydrogen economy

ZEG Power is a spinoff from IFE, a Norwegian research institute, with a new solution for converting gas to hydrogen with integrated CO2 capture. One of the innovations is a concentrated CO2 flow that can go straight to storage.

– Conversion of gas to hydrogen with CO2 storage is the fastest way to emission-free hydrogen on a large scale. This is exciting technology for Bellona to continue working with, says Hauge.

The Longship project will establish a value chain for CO2, including transport and storage of captured CO2 in the North Sea. Thus, gas can be converted to emission-free hydrogen, since CO2 is captured and stored.

– With Longship in place in 2024, we can produce emission-free hydrogen. In this way, we can help kick-start a hydrogen economy both in Norway and internationally. But zero emissions are not enough in a longer perspective, says Kathrine Ryengen, CCO of ZEG Power.

From emission-free to carbon-negative

With the use of biogas, the hydrogen can not only be emission-free, but carbon-negative – that is, take CO2 out of the cycle.

“Opportunities for carbon-negative solutions is something we will investigate together with Bellona,” says Ryengen.

CO2 capture and storage has been a flagship issue for Bellona since 1992. With storage in place within a few years, completely new doors are opened for industrial solutions, Hauge believes.

– Now the industry has every opportunity to think completely new about their emissions and how they can help take CO2 out of the cycle. We will spend a lot of time on such initiatives in the future, and are very pleased to establish a collaboration with ZEG on this, says Hauge.

Hauge warns against the danger of getting lost in the jungle of solutions that recycle CO2.

– It is crucial that CO2 is handled correctly. Priority number 1 is to take CO2 out of the cycle and store it. Very strict criteria must be in place for any use of CO2 that is to be credited as a form of climate benefit. Bellona continues to work with this, both in Oslo and at our Brussels office, says Hauge.

For questions, contact:

Kathrine Ryengen, CCO ZEG Power,
kathrine.ryengen@zegpower.com / +47 99418696

Christian Eriksen, Head of Department Bellona, ​​
chrise@bellona.no / +47 98488398

Bellona

The Bellona Foundation is an international environmental NGO working on the major climate and environmental problems. Founded in 1986 as a direct action protest group, Bellona has become a recognized technology and solution-oriented organization with offices in Oslo, Brussels, UK, St. Petersburg and Murmansk, and representatives in the USA and several EU Member States. Frederic Hauge, founder of Bellona, ​​was named a TIME Magazine Hero of the Environment in the award’s inaugural year 2007. In addition to Hauge, some 60 engineers, ecologists, biologists, economists, lawyers, political scientists and journalists work at Bellona. Our websites are in Norwegian, English and Russian.

ZEG Power

ZEG Power is a Norwegian company that aims to offer the world a cost efficient, clean alternative for energy production. ZEG Power delivers technology and solutions for efficient production of clean hydrogen from hydrocarbon gases, with integrated carbon capture. Examples of hydrocarbon gases are natural gas and biogas. Natural gas is currently the largest source of hydrogen. Hydrogen from biogas combined with carbon capture can achieve a negative carbon footprint. ZEG Power’s technology is based on research and development originated from the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE). More info: www.zegpower.com