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30 January 2025 | News

Hydrogen plant in Naantali receives environmental permits

The Regional State Administrative Agency granted environmental and water management permits for Green North Energy Oy's Naantali green hydrogen and ammonia production plant. The plant will produce hydrogen electrolytically from seawater. Environmental impacts, such as heat load and noise, will have to be monitored.

Hydrogen plant in Naantali receives environmental permits
A view of the hydrogen plant to be built in Naantali. Photo: Green North Energy

Green North Energy Oy received environmental and water management permits for the planned green hydrogen and ammonia production plant in Naantali. The plant will produce hydrogen by electrolysis, where hydrogen is produced by decomposing raw seawater into hydrogen and oxygen using an electric current. The hydrogen is further used to produce ammonia, which is planned to be shipped from the plant by ship. The plant is to be built in two phases of approximately equal production volume, each with an electrolysis capacity of 140 MW and a daily production capacity of 300 tonnes of ammonia.

The main environmental impact of the plant will be the thermal load of the cooling water into the sea. The operation will also cause minor noise pollution, as well as possible odour nuisance in case of incidents. The emissions to air from the processes, which are estimated to be negligible, are treated by incineration in a flare. The noise and odour effects of the production plant are to be investigated by means of noise measurements and model calculations.

The Regional Administrative Office ordered that the heat load generated by the plant and its effects be monitored. Storm water is produced on the site of the plant, the purity of which must be ensured by quality monitoring before discharge into the watercourse. The operation does not generate any actual waste water or pollutant emissions to air.

The water management permit gave the company conditional access to the water body. The total surface water abstraction for the plant is limited to 71 700 000 m³/a. The marine area is required to be delimited by a bubble curtain during the hydro-engineering works. Dredging areas will be subject to a nature survey and sediment studies.