The Nordic countries -Denmark, Hnland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden -have set high goals for the reduction of greenhouse gases and toxic emissions from electricity generation and transportation. The most ambitious plan is that of the Icelandic government, which aims at building the first hydrogen economy in the world. This article reviews the various fuel cell activities in the region.
The first large fuel cell project in the Nordic countries was aimed at developing an alkaline fuel cell system for submarines. At that time, the Swedish company ASEA (now ABB) was a world leader in alkaline fuel cell technology. The project ended abruptly on 4 July 1967, when a system failure caused a fire that completely destroyed the laboratory. For two decades after the fire, fuel cell activities were limited to small academic research projects coordinated by the Nordic Council.
Today, the Nordic governments have defined a common goal to make the North the first region to implement the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Fuel cells are seen as important components to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from small-scale energy production and automotive applications.
Despite the cultural similarities in the Nordic countries, the Nordic economies have different structures built around their respective natural resources and industrial traditions. These differences are also manifested in the fuel cell research and development in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.