Crown Prince joins opening of “Hydrogen Highway”
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. Photo: Tonje Sæther / ZERO
The HyNor Partnership and StatoilHydro officially opened the Norwegian hydrogen highway, HyNor, on 11 May 2009 at StatoilHydro’s new hydrogen station at Økern in Oslo.
HyNor was opened by Norway’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Liv Signe Navarsete. H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway joined the first stage of the EVS Viking Rally, from Oslo to Lier, together with internationally renowned race car driver Henning Solberg. The governing mayor of Oslo, Erling Lae, opened StatoilHydro’s new hydrogen service station at Økern, and Navarsete opened the hydrogen station at StatoilHydro’s service station in Lier.
Since 2003, StatoilHydro has been the driving force behind HyNor’s goal to establish a hydrogen transportation infrastructure along the nearly 600 kilometre route between Oslo and Stavanger. The first hydrogen station was opened at Forus in Stavanger in 2006, the second in Porsgrunn in 2007, and now the two new stations are open in Oslo and Lier. HyNor has some 50 partners and manages a fleet of more than 50 hydrogen vehicles made by Mazda, Toyota and Think.
“We are very pleased to open up this hydrogen infrastructure for testing and demonstrating hydrogen cars. By doing this, we nurture our ambition to help implement hydrogen as a fuel in the transport sector,” says Anne Marit Hansen, Chairman of the board in HyNor.
The Crown Prince took the drivers seat on the first leg of the EVS Viking Rally. Photo: Tonje Sæther / ZERO.
The EVS Viking Rally vehicles are the first to drive the Norwegian hydrogen highway. The rally commences with H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon racing together with the famous Norwegian race car star Henning Solberg. 14 hydrogen vehicles, two plug in hybrid cars and 14 battery electric vehicles are starting in Oslo and will reach the beginning of the EVS (Electrical Vehicle Symposium) 24 in Stavanger on 13 May. Events will take place along the way in Porsgrunn, Grimstad, Arendal, Kristiansand, Lyngdal and Egersund. Another 10 battery electric vehicles will join the rally in Egersund.
Hydrogen may grow significantly as an alternative transportation fuel and stored stationary energy source. One of hydrogen’s big advantages is that it can be produced from many power sources, and can be efficiently produced and used without emitting any pollutants. In addition, hydrogen cars possess many of the same qualities found in today’s conventional automobiles.
“As a future clean transport alternative, hydrogen and fuel-cell technology have big potential. Hydrogen is potentially a game changing transportation fuel,” says Ms Hansen.
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