The hydrogen economy has significant potential in Sea Lapland

Interest in the development of the hydrogen economy is growing everywhere, but insightful studies are needed to promote investments in hydrogen. At the request of Kemin Digipolis Oy, Rejlers conducted a comprehensive technology study, whose findings support the advancement of the hydrogen economy in Sea Lapland.

Digipolis wanted to chart the prospects of the hydrogen economy in Sea Lapland to ensure that the business sector in the area could benefit from these opportunities. The technology study carried out by Rejlers supports the advancement of the hydrogen economy in the region. 

The aim of the study was to form an overall image of the opportunities presented by hydrogen in Sea Lapland. The study focused on, among other things, the region’s infrastructure and industrial operators as well as the processes in which hydrogen could be used. 

“The study provided a good overview of current hydrogen technologies and the overall situation. In addition to conducting a literature survey, Rejlers interviewed companies in the area and organised workshops, which gave insight into the companies’ perspectives,” said Eveliina Nousiainen, Project Manager at Digipolis. 

The study covered the entire hydrogen value chain, from manufacturing technologies to logistics and safety as well as the applications of synthetic fuels and production by-products. By having a good understanding of the whole value chain, Rejlers is able to safely carry out both smaller and larger hydrogen projects.

The technology study highlighted the considerable potential of the hydrogen economy for Sea Lapland. When it comes to hydrogen solutions, the region not only has plenty of production potential but also export potential. The prerequisites for a hydrogen economy are already in place, and the region’s industry and infrastructure create opportunities for investment. 

“The technology study was meant to provide information on the current technologies and matters of safety as well as the potential of the area. Rejlers’ study was exactly what we needed, as it provided information on all these topics. It supported our idea that the hydrogen economy is something the companies and other regional operators are interested in. This opens up new opportunities for Sea Lapland,” Nousiainen says happily. 

According to the study, hydrogen could offer solutions to storing the energy produced by Sea Lapland’s wind farms or utilising the carbon dioxide generated in biogas production. Sea Lapland is also just a stone’s throw away from northern Sweden, which is investing heavily in the hydrogen economy. In addition, Kemi’s continuing work on the circular economy has a strong connection to the hydrogen economy. 

Rejlers gave Digipolis recommendations on what the development company and other businesses in the area should do to promote the hydrogen economy. “Finding synergies between companies and various other operators as well as developing our cooperation with Sweden play a key role. Although we are already working together in many areas, we also need to pay attention to promoting cooperation within the hydrogen economy.” 

Digipolis is happy with how the cooperation with Rejlers has turned out. “Rejlers brought along experts from various fields, leaving us with the impression that the company’s expertise in hydrogen matters is both strong and multifaceted. They also knew how to approach challenges – they didn’t try to avoid them but faced them head-on,” Nousiainen says. 

The technology study was a part of the “Hydrogen Opportunities for Kemi” project, which also examined the logistics related to the hydrogen economy and looked into international hydrogen projects in the surrounding areas. The ERDF project is funded by a grant for the development of the operating environment of companies from the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for North Ostrobothnia.