Key information on the Utsira project:
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Utsira is the smallest municipality in Norway with just under 250 inhabitants. Utsira is an island community approximately 18 kilometers west of Haugesund, in Rogaland, north of Stavanger.
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The budget for the demonstration project, which will run for two years, is approx. NOK 40 million.
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Hydro will execute the project together with the German company ENERCON, which is one of the world's largest producers of wind turbines. ENERCON contributes both technology and a considerable workload.
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The project has received valuable support from Enova (a government body set up to promote environmentally friendly energy consumption and production in Norway), the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) and the Research Council of Norway.
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The Utsira project is one step in Hydro's involvement in hydrogen and renewable energy sources. In addition to increased focus on wind power and the upgrade of hydroelectric power plants, Hydro also carries out extensive research and investment in the whole renewable energy and hydrogen area. Hydro has established the unit New Energy, led by Jørgen Rostrup. Major milestones in the last year include the openings of commercial hydrogen filling stations in Reykjavik and Hamburg and the official opening of Hydro's wind power plant in Havøygavlen in Northern Norway.
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Norsk Hydro Electrolysers in Notodden, which is fully owned by Hydro, is one of the largest electrolyser companies in the world.
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Hydro is already an important hydroelectric and wind power producer in Norway. It is the second largest electricity producer in the country with an annual normal production of 9 TWh. This is equivalent to the electricity consumption of nearly 350,000 households, around ten percent of total Norwegian power production. This is mainly produced at around 20 hydroelectric power plants.
| Utsira project facts |
Milestones |
| Start of pre-project |
January 2002 |
| Concession for energy plant |
April 2003 |
| Signing of main contracts |
April 2003 |
| Site construction start-up |
June 2003 |
| Wind turbines commissioned | September 2003 |
| Implementation - H2 generation set | Winter 2004 |
| Stand alone system ready for demo phase | Spring 2004 |
| Implementation of fuel cell |
Summer 2004 |
| Inaguration |
Summer 2004 |
| Main components |
Technical parameters |
| Wind turbines |
2x600 kW |
| Flywheel |
5 kWh |
| Master Synchronous Machine |
100 kVA |
| Hydrogen engine |
55 kW (top load) |
| Fuel cell | 10 kW |
| Electrolyser |
10 Nm3/h, 48 kW |
| Compressor |
5,5 kW |
| Hydrogen storage capacity |
2400 Nm3 |
| Project management |
Hydro |
| Partner |
Enercon |