The Nordic Hydrogen Route (NHR) is a joint project of the Finnish and Swedish gas transmission system operators Gasgrid Finland and Nordion Energi, which aims to build a cross-border hydrogen infrastructure and create an open hydrogen market in the Bothnian Bay region. Pre-feasibility has been ongoing since 2022. The project can now proceed to the feasibility phase.
The core route of the Nordic Hydrogen Route, about 1,000 kilometres long, will run along the coastline of the Bothnian Bay, including a branch to the industrial area of Kiruna in Sweden. The ambition is to have a hydrogen infrastructure and an open hydrogen market in the Bothnian Bay region by 2030.
“During the pre-feasibility study phase, we, among other things, conducted a survey of potential customers, updated the business case analysis and carried out technical research on issues such as routing. Cooperation has gone well and now, as the project proceeds to the feasibility phase, it is becoming even more intense,” says Jukka Hietanen, Project Director at Gasgrid.
In April 2024, the Nordic Hydrogen Route obtained approval by the European Parliament and the Council for its PCI status, meaning it has been included on the European Commission’s Projects of Common Interest (PCI) as a project to build a more integrated and sustainable EU energy market and contribute to the EU’s energy and climate goals.
“The PCI status of the project will not only enable simplified permitting processes, but has also allowed us to apply for funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, which can support various energy networks. The CEF application for the project was submitted for evaluation at the end of October,” says Hietanen
“The Nordic Hydrogen Route will become a key infrastructure to enable the green transition of industries in northern Sweden and Finland. We are now taking the next step to turn our plans into reality,” says Björn Santana Arvidsson, Vice President at Nordion Energi H2 AB.
The more detailed engineering, which is now starting during the feasibility phase, will include selecting engineering partners for both countries, technical feasibility studies, the selection of permit partners and starting the first permitting activities.
“Dialogue with customers is also a key component. Based on the previous customer survey, the dialogue with the customers will now take the next step to further develop cooperation,” tells Arvidsson.
The NHR hydrogen pipeline between Sweden and Finland is scheduled to start operation 2030, all based on the needs of industry and society. The connection will enable the transmission of hydrogen produced from clean electricity between the two countries. In Finland, the NHR hydrogen pipeline is part of the planned national hydrogen pipeline project. In Sweden the Power2Earth project (Letsi-Luleå) is driven as a first section of NHR, with the public consultation process just completed.
More information:
Requests for interviews to Gasgrid via the Communications Department: viestinta@gasgrid.fi
Nordion: Saila Horttanainen, saila.horttanainen@nordionenergi.se