Everfuel to develop green hydrogen trucking infrastructure in Norway with ASKO

Renewable hydrogen company Everfuel will partner with Norwegian grocery wholesaler ASKO to develop green hydrogen infrastructure to decarbonize heavy-duty long-haul trucking in the country, it said Aug. 18.

The companies have signed a letter of intent to jointly apply to Norwegian state-backed investment company Enova for funding to support vehicle procurement and infrastructure development.

ASKO has a fleet of around 700 large and medium-sized trucks which it owns or leases, and aims to become CO2 emissions free by 2026.

Everfuel is expanding its network of hydrogen fueling stations in Europe.

"Our ambition is to develop a hydrogen refueling station network in Europe and Norway to decarbonize transport of goods and people on road, rail and by sea," Everfuel CEO Jacob Krogsgaard said.

"Everfuel will develop the hydrogen supply and distribution to make this reliable and competitive. Strong partnerships with leading logistics companies such as ASKO is a key element of executing our strategy and ensuring coordinated progress toward a green transport system in Norway and across Europe," Krogsgaard said.

ASKO and truck manufacturer Scania have been testing hydrogen as a fuel in Trondheim, Norway, since 2019. The companies aim to develop hydrogen fueling infrastructure along the Oslo-Trondheim corridor, which they consider a good potential pilot project.

"Hydrogen needs to be available in the sufficient volumes from enough filling stations with the right locations," ASKO Head of Transport Svein Sollie said. "This is demanding, not in least in relation to Enova, and it is one of the main reasons for our coordination with Everfuel."

Everfuel said it would invite other transport companies to join the planned infrastructure development, and would also expand refueling stations for taxi fleets, cargo-vans and service vehicles.

It placed an order on Aug. 17 for a taxi refueling station in Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city, from Nel.

The station will be installed in 2022, and will provide a prototype for movable hydrogen fueling stations to serve light duty vehicles, and also demonstrate the potential for heavy-duty vehicle fueling.

S&P Global Platts assessed the cost of producing renewable hydrogen via alkaline electrolysis in Europe at Eur6.18/kg ($7.24/kg) Aug. 17 (Netherlands, including capex). PEM electrolysis production was assessed at Eur7.58/kg, while blue hydrogen production by steam methane reforming (including carbon, CCS and capex) was Eur3.39/kg.