Stargate Hydrogen has appointed Petri Sarnes as Country Director for Finland. The company announced this on August 24, 2026, in Helsinki. With this personnel decision, the European electrolyser manufacturer aims to strengthen its presence in one of the most active hydrogen markets in Europe.
“Finland is one of the most promising hydrogen markets in Europe, with abundant renewable electricity, strong industrial demand, and ambitious national targets,” says Marko Virkebau, CEO of Stargate Hydrogen. “Petri brings an exceptional understanding of the Finnish energy sector along with extensive international experience.”
According to the company, Petri Sarnes has more than four decades of leadership experience in the energy sector. Previously, he held several senior positions at Siemens, including in the areas of nuclear power, oil and gas, power generation, and renewable energies. He also led the construction of the conventional part of a 1,200 MWe nuclear power plant new-build project and co-founded a deep-tech startup for plastic recycling.
Expansion of the Finland business since 2024
Stargate Hydrogen has gradually expanded its activities in Finland over the past years. At the end of 2024, the company entered into a partnership with ABB and the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) to investigate stray currents in alkaline electrolysis. During the same period, Stargate Hydrogen agreed on a cooperation with the Finnish research center VTT to further develop its next-generation alkaline electrolyser technology.
At the end of 2025, the company joined the ABB-led H2 Springboard ecosystem, which aims to advance the Finnish hydrogen economy. At the beginning of 2026, Stargate Hydrogen delivered a 1 MW alkaline electrolyser system to the Kalla Test Center of the energy company Fortum in southern Finland's Loviisa, according to its own statements.
Local teams for customer proximity
With the appointment of Sarnes, the company aims to build a local team. The goal is closer collaboration with project developers, EPC contractors, industrial customers, and energy companies as projects move from planning to implementation.
Sarnes himself emphasizes the country's starting position: “Finland has the expertise, industrial base, and renewable energy resources to become a leading producer of green hydrogen in Europe, and Stargate Hydrogen is ready to deliver innovative electrolyser technology that improves efficiency and competitiveness.”
Background on the company
Stargate Hydrogen develops industrial hydrogen production systems, focusing on alkaline electrolysers without precious metals. According to the company, target industries are energy-intensive sectors looking to switch from grey hydrogen – including refineries and the production of ammonia, methanol, e-methane, and steel. Investors include Repsol, and customers include Fortum, Utilitas, ABB, and Rockfin. According to its own statements, the company is active in Europe, Turkey, and India.
Finland has positioned hydrogen as a strategic component of its industrial and energy policy transformation. The country is advancing large-scale production facilities, cross-border transport infrastructure, and export capacities.
