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Shell has announced the suspension of its blue hydrogen project on Norway's western coast, citing a lack of sufficient market demand. The Aukra Hydrogen Hub, initially set to produce 1,200 metric tons of hydrogen daily by 2030, has been put on hold due to financial concerns.
Shell Puts Aukra Hydrogen Hub on Hold Due to Insufficient Market Demand for Blue Hydrogen
Shell has declared that its intended low-carbon blue hydrogen facility on Norway's western coast is being postponed. A shortage of demand precipitated the fuel giant's decision regarding the proposed hydrogen initiative.
The Aukra Hydrogen Hub, a hydrogen initiative being developed in collaboration with Aker Horizons and CapeOmega, was previously mentioned in a post on S&P Global. By 2030, the facility was anticipated to generate 1,200 metric tons of hydrogen per day, with a capacity of 2.5 GW.
Once operational, the hydrogen facility was anticipated to prevent the emission of 4 million metric tons of CO2 annually. However, Shell's most recent announcement indicates that the company did not perceive "sufficient market demand" for blue hydrogen to "maintain financial support for the Gassco-led study" of a hydrogen pipeline from Norway to Germany.
“We haven’t seen the market for blue hydrogen materialize and decided not to progress the project… We have also chosen to put the Aukra-project on hold for the same reasons,” a spokesperson from Shell noted.
Equinor Joins Shell in Halting Blue Hydrogen Projects Amid High Costs and Low Market Demand
In a recent report by Teslarati, Shell is not the sole organization that has declared a moratorium on developing hydrogen facilities. Equinor recently announced that it had abandoned its intentions to manufacture blue hydrogen in Norway and export it to Germany, as reported by Reuters. The organization justified its decision by attributing it to inadequate demand and exorbitant expenses.
The hydrogen industry, which battery electric vehicle critics have hailed as a preferable alternative to EVs, has been dealt another major setback with Shell's announcement. Blue hydrogen, produced by combining carbon capture and storage with natural gas, has been promoted as a significant advancement in the hydrogen industry.
Despite the hydrogen industry's challenges, BMW and Toyota have persisted in developing forthcoming hydrogen-powered vehicles. These include the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, which is anticipated to be equipped with two hydrogen canisters, which should provide the vehicle with a range of 500 miles.
