Introducing the first hydrogen-based charging station
Ulmatec entered into an exciting partnership with Ålesund-based Cyan Energy
The company from Hareid will deliver a complete package for hydrogen-based charging stations to be built in Norway and eventually abroad.
On Monday, the first groundbreaking took place for what will be the first test facility, at the gate of Ulmatec on Raffelneset.
"Here, in time, you will be able to charge your electric car with power from fuel cells that utilize green hydrogen," said Birger Mork, project manager at Ulmatec, pointing towards the excavator where the CFO of Cyan Energy AS, Vivian Larsgård-Ingebrigtsen.
Indeed, it was Larsgård-Ingebrigtsen who had the honor of breaking ground at the site where the charging station will be built.
This week, Vikebladet Vestposten met with the aforementioned Mork and Larsgård-Ingebrigtsen, as well as Ulmatec's sales manager, Bjørn Gjerde, and the daily manager of Cyan Energy AS and parent company Petro Well Services AS, for a chat.
They could talk about an exciting collaboration the two companies have entered into.
"In short, it's a complete package that we at Ulmatec will deliver to Cyan Energy, where we also have several subcontractors involved - some of them from the region around us. A test facility is to be built, which had its first groundbreaking here today," says Bjørn Gjerde to the local newspaper.
He says that if this proves to work in practice, Ulmatec may build more such facilities for Cyan Energy around the country. Perhaps there will also be an international expansion over time.
The technology itself from Ålesund company Cyan Energy AS, which in turn is owned by Abu Dhabi-owned Petro Well Services, uses – is designed to create electrical power from fuel cells where the fuel used is green hydrogen. In addition, the facility is designed so that it can generate power from wind turbines and solar cells.
"Unlike conventional charging stations, where you charge with power that comes directly from the power grid – this method will actually always give you the promised effect. The station is not dependent on the power grid to deliver power," says Bjørn Bjerke.
Ulmatec has had a partnership with Petro Well Services for many years already, on the offshore side. This made Ulmatec a natural partner when Cyan Energy now will test the station solution they have secured a patent for.
"This is financed directly with money from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates – not with a single krone from the Norwegian facilitation apparatus. We were denied what we applied for, hence the facility will be built on a smaller scale than planned. If this works as we hope, such facilities can be built all over the world. The big advantage is that one is not dependent on being connected to the power grid," says Bjerke.
In addition to the electric car charging station, the test facility is being built so that in time it will also be possible to increase available power capacity to ships that are at Ulmatec's service base. But, this part is something that lies further in the future.
"In terms of the construction, the groundwork is also being prepared towards the quay, so that it is in place for the day it will be used," says Birger Mork.
During the test period, which lasts until one is satisfied with the technology and sees that everything works as it should, owners in Hareid and the region can charge their cars with power based on hydrogen fuel cells.
Reprinted with permission from Sunnmørsposten.
