This Hydrogen Technology Research Centre (Hytrec) will embrace research facilities as well as practical demonstrations of using hydrogen for transport, electricity generation and heating.

HYTREC is planned as a combined research and demonstration facility, focusing on environment-friendly hydrogen production from both electricity and natural gas with CO2 management. The centre, which will open in May 2007, will demonstrate the practical use of hydrogen for transport, electricity generation and heating, and will also include a visitor centre.

Also due to incorporate a visitor’s centre, Hytrec has been costed at NOK 55 million and is due to be operational in early 2007.

The targets are:

• Develop safe, profitable and sustainable solutions for producing hydrogen from renewable energy and natural gas
• Demonstrate the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier in both transport and stationary applications
• Promote the introduction of hydrogen as a suitable energy carrier in Norway
• Contribute to a general enhancement in expertise

The project partners 
The three partners in the Hytrec project collectively represent a technologically-strong consortium. They will contribute their respective leading-edge expertise to the centre.

• Statkraft is to develop solutions for cost-effective production of hydrogen from renewable energy
• Statoil will develop new technology for producing hydrogen from natural gas with carbon dioxide capture
• The main contribution from Det Norske Veritas will be the development of secure technology and services for safety, qualification and certification related to Hytrec activities

Combining the expertise of the three partners will yield substantial synergies in the development and adoption of innovative technology.