Stargate Hydrogen Solutions OÜ has set its sight on Finland as a base for developing hydrogen technology in Northern Europe after signing a partnership with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
With an increasing number of large-scale industrial projects in Finland and a growing market for clean hydrogen, Stargate said the region is poised to drive meaningful progress toward Europe’s climate goals. “Finland is quickly becoming a hub for green hydrogen projects,” said its chief technology officer Rainer Küngas (pictured with Stargate’s Priit Priimägi and Ilari Laakso and Farhan Ali from VTT).
“We see real potential here, not only for growth in green hydrogen production but also for developing and testing innovative solutions for decarbonising the hard-to-abate sectors.”
Through the new partnership, Stargate aims to bring testing and development activities of its next-generation alkaline electrolysers to Finland.
VTT’s facilities offer the testing capacity needed to accelerate new product development, enabling Stargate to better serve the growing demand for large-scale, reliable hydrogen solutions.
“VTT’s capabilities allow us to validate our products thoroughly in real-world conditions,” added Küngas.
“The partnership with VTT will be an important part of our activities in Finland, where we’ve already established a subsidiary and have multiple commercial projects under execution.”
Earlier this year, Stargate was chosen as the alkaline electrolysis technology supplier for a MW-scale containerised electrolysis project by Fortum, and the first Stargate stacks have already reached Finland.
Stargate Hydrogen said this partnership is the first step in its ambitions to address the industrial large-scale hydrogen market.
With the industry’s demands increasing, Stargate is scaling up its alkaline electrolysers, to match the requirements of major industrial and utility customers. Finland’s infrastructure, active projects, and market openness make it a fertile ground for expansion and innovation, the company added.
The collaboration between Stargate and VTT aims are validation and testing on large-scale electrolyser prototypes at VTT’s test facilities; collaborative R&D by pooling resources and expertise on system modeling and fluid dynamics to enhance the efficiency and durability of hydrogen technology; and working on path to market by stablishing Finland as a testing ground for scalable, commercial hydrogen solutions across Europe.
“VTT has been working with hydrogen, electrolysers, and fuel cells since 1998, and we have top-class expertise and research facilities for hydrogen research,” said VTT research team leader for hydrogen production Olli Himanen.
“By expanding and developing new testing capabilities, knowledge and skills, we aim to support European electrolyser manufacturers with facilities and services that meet the highest standards, supporting industry growth.”