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EU allocates €45 million to Nordion Energi’s hydrogen projects

EU allocates €45 million to Nordion Energi’s hydrogen projects

The Nordic Hydrogen Route (NHR) and Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector (BHC) hydrogen projects have been awarded co-financing totalling €45 million from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Energy). The projects aim to build a hydrogen infrastructure to enable the energy transition and increase Sweden’s energy independence and security of supply.

“This is very good news for both Sweden and Swedish industry. The co-financing is an important part of developing an efficient hydrogen infrastructure that contributes to the industry’s transition,” says Björn Santana Arvidsson, Deputy managing director Nordion Energi H2.

€29 million has been allocated to the Nordic Hydrogen Route project, a planned 1300-km hydrogen pipeline from Vaasa in Finland to Örnsköldsvik in Sweden, with a branch up to Kiruna. The pipeline is a cooperation between Nordion Energi and Gasgrid Finland. In the EU’s evaluation of the projects, NHR received a top score of 24 out of 25 possible points. The project is in line with the Swedish government’s strategy and Svenska Kraftnät’s mission to co-plan the infrastructure for electricity and hydrogen.

"This is very good news for both Sweden and Swedish industry."

- Björn Santana Arvidsson, Deputy managing director Nordion Energi H2

“Hydrogen will be crucial for the climate as well as for our energy security and self-sufficiency, which is also highlighted in the EU’s assessment of these projects. With a common infrastructure, we create greater security and price competition for Swedish industry,” says Björn Santana Arvidsson.

The EU funding aims to take the project to the next phase, with the goal of having the first parts of the NHR operational by 2030. The second project, the Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector (BHC), has been awarded €15 million for a planned hydrogen pipeline in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Germany, a collaboration between Gasgrid Finland, Copenhagen Energy Islands (CEI) and Nordion Energi. In the next stage, an interconnection between Sweden and Finland is planned in the region of the Åland Islands.

The EU’s CEF programme aims to support transnational infrastructures of particular importance for Europe’s competitiveness. The projects are now awaiting negotiations with the EU on the requirements for receiving the co-financing.

Find out more:
European Commission press release: EU invests over €1.2 billion in cross-border infrastructure External link.

Nordic Hydrogen Route: Nordic Hydrogen Route – Swedish – Nordic Hydrogen Route External link.

Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector: The Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector External link.

For more information, please contact:

Saila Horttanainen, Head of Communications, Nordion Energi
Email: saila.horttanainen@nordionenergi.se
Telephone: +46 (0)70 6227606

Map of NHR and BHC

Nordic Hydrogen Route and Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector. EU funding has been granted for sections of the projects.