Raahe to become H2 producer for Baltic Sea hydrogen pipeline

Raahe to become H2 producer for Baltic Sea hydrogen pipeline

March 2, 2022 0 By Hydrogen Fuel News

The Finnish city also intends to produce the emission-free fuel in order to export it to Europe.

The Finnish city of Raahe has announced that it will be joining the Baltic Sea hydrogen pipeline, beyond its export of H2 to Europe.

The city is located on the northern coast of Finland and is deemed suitable for industrial H2 production.

The city was identified as being appropriate for industrial H2 production and storage in a recently published study. As Raahe joins the Baltic Sea hydrogen pipeline, it is seeking to become a major carbon-neutral industry center as well as a hub for H2 production in the BotH2nia hydrogen industrial zone. An existing SSAB steel plant is already located in the city. SSAB intends to become a fossil fuel-free steel production site by the end of the decade, based on the use of H2 technology.

The RISE research institute is collaborating with Luleå University of Technology (LUT) in Sweden in addition to LUT University, the VTT research center, and the University of Oulu in Finland, which have all either already completed or are currently working on completing preliminary studies for building an H2 gas pipeline in the northern Baltic Sea.

Hydrogen pipeline - Pipeline underwater

The initial plan is for the construction of a hydrogen pipeline around the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea.

It would run from Raahe to Luleå and then would extend to Kiruna and Skellefteå. At these various locations, industries such as the steel industry intend to consume large quantities of H2 for decarbonizing their operations.

“Our study has identified three suitable locations in Raahe where we can build facilities for both industrial production and storage of hydrogen,” said Raahe Region Development Director Pasi Pitkänen. “Our aim is to build a large-scale hydrogen industry in our area and, if necessary, also sell emission-free hydrogen produced in Raahe to Sweden, Germany and other parts of the world.”

Beyond the hydrogen pipeline, H2 production would also be advantageous within the Raahe region itself. This includes carbon emission-free electricity production to help boost the power grid throughout the region. The H2 will be renewably produced through the electricity generated by the Halla offshore wind project from wind power operator OX2.

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