Over the next five years, the CONVEY project will showcase how to build an integrated green hydrogen system in a port. 10 partners have joined forces to establish a sustainable hydrogen infrastructure in Northern Denmark, and the model will serve as an inspiration to other ports. The project has been awarded a € 9 million grant from the EU’s Horizon programme.
Commercial ports are central hubs for transport, logistics and industry, connecting maritime and land-based transport of goods, and ports are looking for ways to optimise as well as decarbonise. An estimated 90% of all traded goods are distributed via ocean shipping worldwide, and shipping aims to halve its emission of greenhouse gases by 2050.
Green hydrogen is set to play a key role in decarbonizing heavy transport and industry. Accordingly, it makes sense to connect the production of green hydrogen with port operations. The CONVEY project aims to showcase an ambitious ecosystem in which green hydrogen is produced from local wind energy and utilised locally – along with the by-products oxygen and heat.
CONVEY will be among the first port-based hydrogen valleys in Europe
Very few ports have yet started to build integrated green hydrogen systems. CONVEY will be among Europe’s first port-based hydrogen valleys to demonstrate integration of green hydrogen into different end-user sectors.
- Port of Hirtshals is in the windy north of Denmark with reliable green energy production potential from wind harvesting. At the same time the port is one of the major transport connections to Norway and an attractive location for various industries and logistic companies. The port is focusing its expansion on increasing the capacity of port operations as well as attracting companies and investments with focus on the green transition. This makes the port ideal for showcasing the potential of green hydrogen for decarbonisation and establishment of a zero-waste green energy system, says Per Holm Nørgaard, CEO of Port of Hirtshals. He expects the initiative to generate jobs and development in the northern region of Denmark.
The project involves the construction of a 5 MW electrolysis plant, a large-scale refuelling station for trucks and distribution networks for hydrogen as well as oxygen and heat. By focusing on the principles of circularity, the project will ensure that all elements of the process are utilised efficiently and sustainably.
Most of the green hydrogen will be used to supplant natural gas in a local biorefinery, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the production. The remainder of the hydrogen will be used to fuel trucks. Oxygen and heat will be utilised in local aquaculture production.
The project will develop a model for green hydrogen port systems that can be replicated in up to 155 ports in Europe. CONVEY is set to produce 500 tons of hydrogen per year, but the production is scalable.
Consortium of 10 partners covers the entire value chain
Behind the CONVEY project is a consortium of 10 partners, which includes offtakers of hydrogen, oxygen and heat. All parts of the value chain are represented, which will help build a system that operates seamlessly and cost-efficiently.
Norwegian Hydrogen AS has initiated CONVEY and is the lead partner of the project. Norwegian Hydrogen pioneers several green hydrogen initiatives in the Nordics, and experience from these will be transferred to the CONVEY-project.
- Norwegian Hydrogen manages, executes and operates projects on a wide range of hydrogen technologies, building comprehensive value chains for green hydrogen. The CONVEY-project will build upon these in complexity and involvement of additional use-cases for the utilisation of green hydrogen. The project will also showcase an advanced energy system, providing an energy management and monitoring tool designed to handle the variable and less predictable production of renewable wind energy, says Dan Knudsen, Country Manager at NH2 Denmark A/S, Norwegian Hydrogens’ subsidiary in Denmark.
The design of the CONVEY system has been initiated in the spring of 2024, and the construction of facilities and pipelines will start in 2025. Operation of the system is expected to start in 2026.
The total cost of the project is €22 million. €9 million has been granted by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. The grant is financed under EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe under the call HORIZON-JTI-CLEANH2-2023 for Hydrogen Valleys.
Partners in CONVEY
Norwegian Hydrogen AS builds and operates a comprehensive network of production sites and distribution systems for green hydrogen throughout the Nordics. Norwegian Hydrogen serves as the lead partner in CONVEY, responsible for project management, detailed engineering and construction, as well as the operation of the electrolyser.
Vireon will develop and operate a refuelling station for heavy-duty trucks at Hirtshals Transport Center.
Port of Hirtshals offers its strategic location and infrastructure, serving as the physical hub for the project and facilitating the logistics and distribution of hydrogen and its by-products.
Greenport North facilitates green transition within the areas of energy, transport and industry in Port of Hirtshals, which aims to become Europe’s greenest commercial harbour. With insight and expertise from other projects and stakeholder relations, Greenport North works to ensure that CONVEYs green hydrogen ecosystem aligns with the overall energy infrastructure development in the port.
Hirtshals Transport Center contributes its logistics and transportation expertise, critical for the establishment of the refuelling station and the efficient distribution of hydrogen to various end-users.
Biomega will demonstrate the practical benefits of green hydrogen by replacing natural gas in their industrial operations. Hydrogen will be supplied through a dedicated pipeline connecting their facilities directly to the electrolyser and will exemplify a significant step towards minimizing industrial carbon emissions.
Onnest (previously Lancar Nutri) will explore the use of oxygen and heat in aquaculture, showcasing the diverse applications of the project’s by-products.
Vendelbo Spedition will demonstrate the use of heavy-duty hydrogen trucks and will contribute its expertise in logistics and transportation.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland brings in scientific research and technological development capabilities, focusing on modelling and optimization of the integrated energy ecosystem, and ensuring the project’s technological advancements are grounded in rigorous scientific principles.
Next Consult, a Danish electrical engineering company and green energy software developer, works alongside VTT to implement a heuristic plant modelling platform for the operation and optimization of the total energy ecosystem, contributing software solutions and analytical expertise.
Hydrogen Valley, a Danish consultancy specializing in hydrogen applications and EU-funded projects, handles stakeholder management and dissemination, ensuring effective communication and engagement with all relevant parties.
