Norwegian shipping company gearing up to import hydrogen to Germany

Norwegian shipping company Höegh LNG is set to convert its floating liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals in Germany to import hydrogen starting 2028, the company's CEO, Erik Nyheim, told German daily Handelsblatt. The company specialising in tanker transport of LNG has 10 terminals – also called floating storage and regasification units (FSRU). Three of those are in Germany. Höegh told Handelsblatt it wants to convert the FSRUs gradually as the need for hydrogen increases. Demand for "climate-neutral" hydrogen is expected to rise significantly as industries such as steel and chemicals phase out fossil fuels, writes the newspaper. Germany is planning an 11,000-kilometer hydrogen network connecting coastal terminals with industrial centres, with Höegh saying it can provide the infrastructure to import 30 percent of the country's predicted 2030 hydrogen demand. Handelsblatt writes that Germany needs to establish deals with countries that could potentially produce green hydrogen and similar climate-neutral fuels.

In July, the German government coalition presented an update to its National Hydrogen Strategy with the aim of speeding up the development of a market for the fuel, which it sees as essential on the path to climate neutrality by 2045. In the update the coalition said Germany would have to import most of the hydrogen needed to meet demand.