Norwegian-Dutch Kiwa Team Secure Strategic Hydrogen Contract with Gasnor
In the Spring of 2023, Gasnor, Norway’s largest natural gas company, put a contract out to tender for the retrofitting of their pipelines. The goal was to enable the delivery of an 80% natural gas and 20% hydrogen mixture. Kiwa Consulting Norway was eager to make a bid for this highly technical contract - designed to pave the way for a more sustainable energy future in Norway.
The value of teamwork
Because of the environmental impact and strategic nature of the contract, Kiwa Consulting Norway reached out to their colleagues at Kiwa Technology in the Netherlands. ‘It was evident that together we could offer the background and technical proficiency required for Gasnor’s contract,’ says Line Leirvåg, Senior Consultant Energy and Safety of Kiwa Consulting. ‘The bid is a typical example of how at Kiwa we can tap into our global organisation to field a dream team.” At this stage, one obstacle stood in the way: the deadline set by Gasnor was too tight for Kiwa to meet. Gasnor recognized the potential of the team and the fact that Kiwa Technology offers proven leadership in hydrogen grid assessments, honed through similar projects in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Portugal and other European countries. With this in mind, Gasnor agreed to extend the bidding deadline.
A seamless process
Kiwa Consulting Norway, Kiwa Technology, and Gasnor spent over 500 working hours crafting a plan that would enable the retrofit for the delivery of the natural gas-hydrogen mix. “Gasnor appreciated our team’s technical know-how and experience,” says Line. “The combination of local our presence through Kiwa Consulting Norway and the international dimension brought in by Kiwa Technology also added quality.” Kiwa Consulting Norway and Kiwa Technology initiated bi-weekly meetings with Gasnor. There was also a productive visit to Kiwa’s Hydrogen House in the Netherlands, where Gasnor was able to meet the whole team in person and discuss the trajectory of the project.
A Win-win-win scenario
For Gasnor, this pioneering project paves the way for a more sustainable energy future in Norway. It does this by enabling the utilisation of existing infrastructure for hydrogen transport. ‘This can significantly reduce costs and accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels’, explains Line.
The seamless and successful collaboration Gasnor experienced with Kiwa Consulting Norway and Kiwa Technology has led new shared steps. The first is a feasibility study to enable the introduction of even more hydrogen through Gasnor’s network. The project has also led to other forms of collaboration between Gasnor and the Kiwa team.
Partnering with Kiwa Technology Netherlands enabled Kiwa Consulting Norway to deliver a solution that no single player could have delivered alone. The project exemplifies Kiwa's ability to bridge knowledge gaps and facilitate the global transition towards clean energy. “It has also strengthened Kiwa’s position as a major player in the Nordic Region,” says Line. “There is a growing awareness of the synergies and additional resources that Kiwa can offer when we collaborate across borders as a global brand.” This project strengthens Kiwa's position even more as a frontrunner in this field, whose combined knowledge is ready to be applied to similar projects around the world. A growing market awareness of this is already leading to many new contacts and opportunities for similar projects, such as in France and in Italy.
Contact us
Kiwa’s broad range of services is often used by utilities, government departments, appliance manufacturers, and automotive companies. We offer technical advice, field trial management, feasibility studies, proof of concept, technical due diligence, risk analysis and mitigation, regulatory advice, techno-economic analysis, data analysis and more.
If you would like to discover more about Kiwa locally and/or internationally, please visit the Kiwa website.
For an impression of our work with hydrogen, check our 4.5-minute video on Kiwa Hydrogen Expertise