Sweden is a pioneer in hydrogen

It is well known that LKAB, SSAB and Vattenfall have produced the world's first fossil-free steel in Sweden and that the young company H2 Green Steel is building new green steel production in Boden. It is more rare that it is revealed how much activity is going on in the field of hydrogen in Sweden. During the Hydrogen Conference 2023, which took place on December 5-6, a new packaging of current messages of national hydrogen activities was made.

- I would like to thank our co-organizers and all 350 participants! We ended the conference with a wonderful feeling that the vision of a large joint national event full of activity has been fulfilled. The event was appreciated and important for everyone's continued work in the field of hydrogen. Our assessment is that we managed to spread a lot of knowledge about both technology and societal factors during these days, and that the interest in the education we offer and create in hydrogen at Luleå University of Technology has been strengthened. At the same time, our breadth of available researchers in very many research topics has been clarified, given that the challenges ahead are still quite complex, says Cecilia Wallmark, director of the Centre for Hydrogen Energy Systems Sweden - CH2ESS and a major co-creator of the conference.

Packaged current messages of national hydrogen activities

The new packaged messages on national hydrogen activities, presented in this article's slideshow, include that Sweden has a very wide range of actors and researchers working across the entire value chain and at all maturity levels of hydrogen components in their respective stages of manufacturing, storage, distribution and use. The geographical spread of investments, innovation and product portfolios is also large, with the emphasis on secured capital and social support in the far north. There are a number of electrofuel plants under construction, energy system transformation and adaptation, investment analysis for port operations and, not least, world-class suppliers, research and development in metallurgy, hydrogen, fuel cells and electrolysers.

Over 60 hydrogen filling stations underway

Sweden has two strong suppliers of heavy vehicles with adaptation for hydrogen as a fuel, and over 60 hydrogen filling stations in the planning stage. Sweden also has good conditions with fossil-free electricity, extensive district heating networks, renewable carbon dioxide, water, available capital for investments and the habit of strong cooperation, both nationally and internationally, which is a very good basis for all this. At the same time, getting the vehicle fleet to these filling stations is one of the most relevant challenges right now, in parallel with an extreme need for more electricity production and distribution, well-balanced financing mechanisms, and knowledge enhancement to accelerate the transition.

- The motivation from Luleå University of Technology to be the driving force for the Hydrogen Conference has been to widely share the insight that Sweden is actually a pioneer in many aspects of hydrogen and to contribute to a deeper understanding of how we got here. In addition, it was important with the benefit of an opportunity for important exchanges so that we can continue our development and transition strongly forward, says Cecilia Wallmark.

At the same time, she wants to emphasize the challenges that exist:
- Our research is based on the barriers that we and partners in industry, the public sector and others in academia identify and the list of difficult issues to solve right now ranges from challenges in materials technology to energy system issues and societal factors. These are crucial issues for the transition that all participants at the conference have had the opportunity to discuss during these two days," she says.

During the first morning of the Hydrogen Conference, Cecilia Wallmark had invited guests to three different panels to highlight what we are pioneers in, and what challenges exist in the near future, on the following themes:

• World-class research collaborations with Thomas Wågberg, Umeå University, Maria Grahn, Chalmers University of Technology, Andreas Bodén, PowerCell and Simon Matti, Luleå University of Technology.
• Industrial pioneers in Sweden with Tomas Hirsch, SSAB, Mikael Nordlander, Vattenfall and Lina Håkansdotter, H2 Green Steel.
• The crucial importance of the public sector in discussion with Sara Grundström, Invest in Norrbotten, Joachim Nordin, Skellefteå Kraft and Thomas Fägerman, Boden Business Park.

Furthermore, State Secretary Daniel Liljeberg, and Paula Hallonsten, project manager at the Swedish Energy Agency for the government assignment on coordination in hydrogen, were invited as introductory speakers. During the following 1.5 days, there were nine sessions on international outlook, industry, transportation, energy, security, etc. and a constant mingle in the exhibition hall at Älvsjömässan in Stockholm.

At the poster session, five of Luleå University of Technology's research projects were exhibited, presented by Örjan Johansson, Jim Allansson, Lisa-Marie Weniger, Cecilia Wallmark and Io Antonopoulou, all of whom research within the hydrogen initiative Centre for Hydrogen Energy Systems Sweden - CH2ESS. Furthermore, a number of CH2ESS partners presented various joint research projects, including marine fuels, test development for electrolysers, vehicles and hydrogen safety.

The Hydrogen Conference 2023 External link, opens in new window. was organized in collaboration between Energiforsk External link, opens in new window., Luleå University of Technology External link, opens in new window., RISE Research Institutes of Sweden External link, opens in new window., Hydrogen External link, opens in new window. Sweden, Energigas Sweden External link, opens in new window. and Energiföretagen External link, opens in new window. Sverige External link, opens in new window..

Welcome to next year's Hydrogen Conference in December 2024!