Nel varsler Rheinmetall-samarbeid

Nel, a Norwegian hydrogen company, has announced a collaboration with Rheinmetall, a German defense technology company, to explore how local fuel production can address a major challenge in military logistics and readiness - access to fuel in wartime and crisis situations. Kjell Christian Bjørnsen, Nel's finance director, stated that the Norwegian hydrogen company is working with Rheinmetall to support their concept of distributed fuel production, which uses green power to produce fuel everywhere, typically within a range of five to ten miles.

Bjørnsen explained that the fuel is produced using Nel's equipment, which generates hydrogen from water and electricity. The hydrogen is then processed with CO2 through a reactor developed by Rheinmetall, resulting in fuel that meets NATO's diesel requirements and the fuel requirements for vehicles and fighter jets. He emphasized that there is no "technological risk" in the project but acknowledged the need for customers.

The key to this concept is compactness - creating small units that can be easily integrated into local power systems. This makes it easier to connect to renewable energy sources directly. Nel will be one of several technology suppliers in the project, which is still in its early stages and needs pilot customers in the defense sector.

The first unit will be more expensive to build than the tenth, but finding early adopters is crucial, Bjørnsen said, highlighting the main challenge. The agreement between Nel and Rheinmetall aims to jointly develop the market, with no specific deliveries yet established. Rheinmetall's concept considers that military forces require much more fuel in wartime than in peacetime.

During peacetime, excess production can be sold to civilian customers, helping to cover costs and maintain the units while also preparing for potential crises.