“Sweden has all the prerequisites to take the lead in green hydrogen production”

Hydrogen is a key component in the transition to a climate-neutral society for many industries – especially for areas that cannot be directly electrified.
We spoke to hydrogen expert Kajsa Ryttberg-Wallgren, EVP & Head of Growth & Hydrogen Business at H2GreenSteel, about the potential of hydrogen for the maritime transition.

What role will hydrogen play in the transition?

Hydrogen itself is nothing new – it has been used for a long time and is in fact one of the most common industrial gases used today. But it is only now that it is starting to be produced on a large scale through electrolysis and renewable electricity. Thanks to these developments, hydrogen now has the potential to play an important role in sectors that cannot be directly electrified, for example using batteries. Shipping is a good example of this, where incredible amounts of batteries would be needed for medium and long distances, and hydrogen is a very advantageous fuel option. Hydrogen is also the basis for other fossil-free fuels, such as ammonia and e-methanol, which can be used in shipping.

What are the main reasons for advocating hydrogen as a fuel in shipping?

Hydrogen for shipping has great potential for medium distances. Depending on where the production takes place, and thus how far the hydrogen will be transported, I think we will see different players choose either between pure hydrogen or fuels produced by hydrogen, such as ammonia and e-methanol. For medium distances, hydrogen will be advantageous, but for longer intercontinental distances, methanol or ammonia may become more common, as it is easier and cheaper to transport large quantities of these fuels.

What are the main challenges to scaling up hydrogen production and use?

The biggest challenge right now is where to produce hydrogen, and how to produce it. The basic problem is that it can be challenging to produce hydrogen where it will be used, which means that large amounts of hydrogen need to be transported – which is costly. In theory, the closer the hydrogen production is to the source of electricity, the cheaper the production will be, and the price of electricity determines the production cost a producer can achieve.

How will the infrastructure be built?

Sweden has all the prerequisites to become a leader in green hydrogen production. We have the expertise, the focus on the green transition and the natural resources required. The part of the chain that we need to develop more is the electrolysis process itself, where we currently have no major electrolysis companies in Sweden, compared with fuel cells, where Sweden is well placed. But we have good conditions with close cooperation between academia and industry.

As far as possible, hydrogen production should take place close to where it will be used and as close as possible to the energy source. For longer transportation distances, pipelines are the most cost-effective in the long term – in the short term, however, they are a major investment that takes time to put in place. That said, once the infrastructure has been developed and expanded and production has been scaled up, I am convinced that hydrogen will be an important piece of the puzzle for the maritime transition.