NIHAK is the first in Finland to survey suitable hydrogen production sites. The survey shows that municipalities in the NIHAK region have excellent conditions for large-scale hydrogen production. The survey enables marketing the region to potential hydrogen production operators, as well as the related refining activities. There are already hydrogen production projects in the region seeking operating permits.
Northern Ostrobothnia, and its southern part in particular, is known as one of Finland’s largest centers for the construction of onshore wind power. The river valley area as a whole will generate more than half (over 11,000MW) of Finland’s future onshore wind power by 2030. Large-scale renewable energy production attracts energy companies with an interest in hydrogen production to set up in the area.
In addition to clean energy production, the construction of hydrogen production facilities in the area requires new zoning of appropriate T/chem zones suitable for the operations, or the completion of zoning processes that are already underway.
The current survey shows that there are eight potential areas for hydrogen production in the NIHAK operating area alone. The surface areas of these sites range from 30 hectares to 160 hectares. In addition, the municipalities of the region are currently working on expansion projects of the zoned areas, which will significantly increase the number of suitable sites.
First hydrogen production projects in the region already seeking operating permits
The potential sites, which this survey focused on, have the conditions for large-scale hydrogen production. At this stage, it is already possible to build 3,000–5,000MW of hydrogen production in the area, as well as other industrial activities and further processing of ancillary chemical industry products of the hydrogen operation.
The construction of a hydrogen production plant requires several years of preparation. Plot reservations have already been made for the first hydrogen production projects in the area, and these projects are already in the preparatory and operating permit-seeking phase.
The potential of hydrogen production in the region has been identified and highlighted before. Earlier this year, operators in the southern part of Northern Ostrobothnia published a joint statement on the development of a future hydrogen network in the region. You can read the full statement here.
In addition to wind power, there is a large amount of new clean energy projects planned in the region around solar power and bioenergy, as well as energy storage. All projects in the region support each other and invest in a common infrastructure, which benefits them all and makes the investment financially sound.
The site surveys will continue, and in the next phase, NIHAK will also study and bring up the potential of hydrogen production in an area wider than its operating region. Several suitable sites in neighboring municipalities have already been identified, which will strengthen the potential of the whole region as a hub for future hydrogen production.
More information:
Kimmo Niskanen
Regional development manager, NIHAK
tel +35840 0299412
kimmo.niskanen@nihak.fi
