The hydrogen revolution is getting closer and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is set to lead the way in this development, here we learn more
The advancing climate change calls for new solutions. The Finnish Government has set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2035, and the European Union by 2050. New hydrogen solutions for energy sector, heavy industry, and transport will help to reach these goals. Finland and VTT Technical Research Centre are pioneers in hydrogen technology and in this development.
Renewable wind and solar energy will decarbonize a large share of energy consumption in Europe, but they require solutions to even out peak production and to enable energy storage. Hydrogen technology has great potential here. The demand for hydrogen solutions is also growing in targets where electrification is difficult, such as industry or heavy transport.
Furthermore, hydrogen is not for hydrogen business only. It creates opportunities across the value chain from the production of green fertilisers and green steel to manufacturing new hardware, building new infrastructure, preparing new regulations, trans-forming transportation, and changing the energy systems of industrial plants. Altogether, it offers a market worth billions of euros.
Decades of hydrogen research at VTT
VTT started developing fuel cells and electrolysis in the late 1990s and has continued ever since. It has accumulated strong expertise in solid oxide electrolysis, Power-to-X synthesis processes, and the function and integration of systems, to name a few.
In addition, VTT has been bringing actors together and helping companies from different industries to explore the opportunities of hydrogen solutions. It manages a fully automated research infrastructure and combines excellent hardware technology and experimental know-how to create economically viable and environmentally sustainable solutions.
With the growing global demand, the value of this work has become increasingly apparent. “We have staunchly believed in the possibilities of hydrogen technology and the opportunities it offers for curbing climate change. Now that skills and knowledge are needed, we and our partners have them. We want to share them with companies and Finnish actors and build bridges to European innovation forums”, says Jussi Manninen, Executive Vice President of Carbon neutral solutions unit at VTT.
Towards wide-scale climate solutions
The next steps include proving the potential of hydrogen technology through piloting and demos, as well as upscaling to commercial scale. Vantaa hydrogen plant in Finland is one example: Vantaa Energy and smart technology company Wärtsilä are planning an electric power-to-gas fuel plant utilising hydrogen tech-nology, to be taken into use in 2025.
VTT’s goal is that three years from now Finland will have significant industrial demonstrations linked with hydrogen value chains for export. “The aim is to enable Finnish actors to seek a relevant role on the global market for hydrogen solutions, and to make the hydrogen revolution reality together”, Manninen states.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Tel: +358 40 535 5947
Please note: This is a commercial profile
