Press release

Collaboration with FirstElement Fuel Inc and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to forge a network of hydrogen refueling stations

Green hydrogen company Norwegian Hydrogen AS announces Nordic collaboration with FirstElement Fuel Inc and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to forge a network of hydrogen refueling stations.

From left, in Ålesund this week: Mugihiko Yanagida, VP Business Development of Hexagon Purus representing Mitsui, Dr. Shane Stephens, CDO FirstElement Fuel and TrueZero, and Jens Berge, CEO of Norwegian Hydrogen.

Norwegian Hydrogen AS, FirstElement Fuel Inc. and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. have signed a co-operation agreement to develop a hydrogen refueling infrastructure and accelerate the zero-emission hydrogen transportation market in the Nordic countries. Together, the team will forge a network of hydrogen refueling stations capable of refueling 100,000 hydrogen powered vehicles in the Nordic region.

Hydrogen will play a key role in the clean energy transition, helping to drive down carbon emissions, achieve energy independence, and put an end to the world’s overall addiction to oil and gas. As part of the energy transition, hydrogen will be critical to the mobility sector as an enabler to achieve zero emissions. A hydrogen supply chain infrastructure is a prerequisite for the application of hydrogen in numerous mobility and industry segments, such as on trucks, buses, cars, trains and ships. Building a network of hydrogen refueling stations is crucial for any country and region aiming to achieve zero emissions in their transportation sector.

Norwegian Hydrogen and FirstElement Fuel will work together to accelerate the expansion of the hydrogen network throughout the entire Nordic region. The team will be joined by Mitsui, adding their strength in global infrastructure expansion to leverage the vast experience gained by FirstElement Fuel in California USA. The co-operation agreement struck by the three parties outlines how each plan to leverage their best-in-class experience and know-how to develop hydrogen refueling infrastructure in the Nordic countries, with a focus on the end-user.

California-based First Element Fuel Inc. owns and operates the True Zero Hydrogen Network - the largest combined hydrogen station network in the world, consisting of 36 stations on the US West Coast today and expanding to 55 stations by the end of 2023. This year, FirstElement is on track to shatter their own world record (previously 869,000 kilograms of hydrogen dispensed, and 364,000 vehicle fills during 2021) by dispensing more than 1.5 million kilograms of hydrogen and performing over 500,000 fills into Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles produced by Toyota, Honda and Hyundai. Using its True Zero Platform, a scalable and exportable playbook for the rollout of hydrogen stations based on FirstElement’s proven track record in California over the past 10 years. The company is expanding its Network across North America and into other regions of the world as well.

Mitsui has worked for many years to promote hydrogen usage, including fuel cell vehicles, through its investments in Hexagon Composites, Hexagon Purus, FirstElement Fuel and a number of other hydrogen companies globally. Mitsui aims at contributing to the success of this collaboration with Norwegian Hydrogen and FirstElement Fuel by leveraging synergies with its existing hydrogen-related businesses in the European market.

Based in Ålesund, Norway, and backed by a group of strong industrial players, Norwegian Hydrogen will take a leading role in the North European zero emission hydrogen market by offering green hydrogen in a wide range of mobility and industrial segments across the entire Nordic region. The company will build and operate production facilities, logistics and distribution systems, as well as a network of hydrogen refueling stations for heavy duty vehicles and maritime customers. Norwegian Hydrogen is also working with partners to ensure access to zero emission hydrogen for a number of other special sectors, such as freight trains, aquaculture, construction sites, mining and bio e-fuel production.

Joel Ewanick, Founder and CEO of FirstElement Fuel, which owns the True Zero Hydrogen Network, is excited about the opportunity to expand the company’s platform to Nordic countries alongside Norwegian Hydrogen and Mitsui. “Supporting Norwegian Hydrogen with their growth plans is part of what we always hoped to do – use our learnings and our True Zero Platform to create a positive customer experience and make hydrogen successful everywhere in the world. This is fantastic for our planet, to move the whole Nordic region to hydrogen and help fight back against climate change.”

Jens Berge, CEO of Norwegian Hydrogen is also thrilled to announce their collaboration with FirstElement Fuel, the True Zero network and Mitsui. «The dialogue with our friends in the US and in Japan has developed in a very positive way over time, and their support will be of great importance for us», Berge states.

Hiroshi Kakiuchi, the Managing Officer of the Performance Materials Business Unit at Mitsui, stated that "we are honored to leverage our existing relationship with Norwegian Hydrogen, the affiliate of Hexagon Purus to expedite the geographic expansion of FirstElement Fuel into European countries. Mitsui has strategic alliances with both Hexagon Purus and FirstElement Fuel, in addition to being one of their shareholders. This is how Mitsui is committing itself to the development of a hydrogen-based economy."

About Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is multilaterally pursuing business that ranges from product sales, worldwide logistics and financing, through to the development of major international infrastructure and other projects in the following fields: Mineral & Metal Resources, Energy Infrastructure Projects, Mobility, Chemicals, Iron & Steel Products, Food, Food & Retail Management, Wellness, IT & Communication Business, Corporate Development Business, utilizing its global operating locations, network and information resources.
https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/index.html

About FirstElement Fuel Inc.

FirstElement Fuel is the world's largest retailer of hydrogen for the transportation sector, with over 3.3 million kilograms of hydrogen dispensed in zero-emission vehicles to date. The California-based company's mission is to foster the widespread adoption of hydrogen across all energy sectors with a focus on the end user, and to improve the economics of fuel and energy consumption and reduce its footprint on our planet. To change the energy industry and with it, the world. For more information, please visit: www.truezero.com , or contact us at Info@firstelementfuel.com.

About Norwegian Hydrogen AS

Norwegian Hydrogen AS will produce and deliver green hydrogen in the entire Nordic region. The company will build and operate an effective network of production sites and distribution systems tailored to meet the future requirements for zero emission fuels in a wide range of mobility sectors and industrial segments. Norwegian Hydrogen AS’ infrastructure will be developed in a systematic manner, and the company will play an active role in the establishment of the new zero emission hydrogen market. The company is supported by a group of strong industrial owners, such as Flakk Group, Hexagon Purus, Hofseth International and Tafjord Kraftproduksjon.
Norwegian Hydrogen’s head office is in Ålesund, Norway.