Surf n Turf strengthens Norway Scotland relation-ships

Posted on 25 October 2016

One of CES's Development Officers, Ian Garman, attended Maritim Forening's Hydrogen Conference at Florø in Norway to explain about the Orkney Surf 'n' Turf project and hear how Scandinavian countries are turning their back on fossil fuels.

The two day event was encouraging – Norway has plans for 50,000 hydrogen cars by the year 2025 and wants to develop zero emission shipping based on batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.

Surf n Turf lays the foundations for hydrogen shipping in Orkney and elsewhere, so there was plenty to discuss.

In Norway, electricity units cost about one eighth what they do in Scotland, so approaches differ. While Surf n Turf must put enormous effort into moving hydrogen around safely, Norwegian projects can make it where they need it, using grid electricity that derives from clean hydro-power.

Norwegian coastal communities are highly reliant on their ferries and Ian was impressed by how comfortable and modern all their boats are. In part that's thanks to lower car use, making it practical to run fast catamarans that carry foot passengers and cycles only.

Deep-sea trawlers and even lifeboats are among the vessels that people are actively designing for a zero-carbon hydrogen future that they see as very close. On land, the food chain Akso will operate Scania trucks fuelled with hydrogen by 2018.

On the way home via Trondheim, Ian found that electrification of transport in Norway extends to the world's only roadside cycle lift, the Trampe CycloCable.

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