Hydrogen for transport has been on Norway's agenda for some time. The Bellona Foundation imported a Mercedes Sprinter Hydrogen van developed in the German WEIT project in 2002 and carried out the first hydrogen filling in Norway, and Norway's first hydrogen filling structure began a year later. Existing Norwegian rules and regulations had to be adapted to accommodate hydrogen vehicles and related technologies, and the project was an important first step in starting this.

Norway's first hydrogen station opened in 2006 near Stavanger, the second at Porsgrunn in 2007 and two stations opened in Oslo and Lier in 2009. Hydrogen stations were also planned for Bergen and Lyngdal, but these projects never were implemented.

A plan to implement H2 stations in southern Norway was recently unveiled, with the ambition to have up to 15 zero-emission passenger and cargo fueling points in operation by the end of 2023. The plan is part of the strategy Scandinavian green thinking for trucks, buses and cars connecting the main traffic corridors in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. It will initially cover Norway south of Trondheim and connect to H2 stations in Sweden and Denmark.

Norway has a strong process industry and several companies involved in hydrogen production. Hydrogen is an intermittent product in fertilizer production and the fertilizer company Yara has produced hydrogen with electrolysers and steam methane reforming (SMR) at Herøya (Porsgrunn). Hydrogen is also a by-product in the production of chlorine-related products, where Norsk Hydro operates in Rafnes (Porsgrunn). Finally, Statoil produces hydrogen as part of methanol production at Tjeldbergodden (Norway) and at the Mongstad refinery in Mongstad (Norway).

In Norway there are currently

7

gas stations with hydrogen for sale