At the Sea Lapland Hydrogen Day 2026 on February 11 in Kemi, Finland's north presented itself as a future hydrogen hub for Europe. The five municipalities of Tornio, Keminmaa, Kemi, Simo, and Tervola jointly courted international investors.
Organized by Kemin Digipolis, the event brought together key industrial players, infrastructure operators, and municipalities. The goal: to position the Sea Lapland region on the Gulf of Bothnia as the most competitive location for hydrogen production and Power-to-X in Europe.
Sustainable aviation fuels from Finland
Finland aims to contribute 10 percent to the European hydrogen demand by 2030. Part of it is to be transported south via pipeline, while another part is to be processed locally, for example into aviation fuels.
The conditions in the north are excellent, emphasize the hosts. Minna Mentzer from the Metsä Group presented the Bioproduct Mill in Kemi, opened in 2023 – with 4 million tonnes of biogenic CO2 annually, the largest single source in Europe. Together with Andritz, Metsä is testing CO2 capture and planning a demonstration plant with 30 to 100 kilotonnes per year. Juha Erkkilä from Outokumpu-EvoCarbon presented a cooperation with Norsk e-Fuel: at the Tornio site, sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) is to be produced from carbon monoxide from steel production – 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes annually, with production start planned for 2032.
Industrial infrastructure is available and expandable
The technical infrastructure is under development. The Finnish gas network operator Gasgrid presented plans for a national hydrogen network: 1,500 kilometres of pipeline, 100 kilometres of which are in Sea Lapland. Together with Nordion Energi, Gasgrid is also advancing the Nordic Hydrogen Route, a 1,400-kilometre pipeline in the Baltic Sea region. According to a Ramboll study, the port of Ajos can already handle 0.5 million tonnes of CO2 or Power-to-X products annually. And Private-Public-Partnership models are to ensure the expansion of power grids.
Markku Kivistö from Business Finland emphasized the location advantages. Finland has 96 percent CO2-free electricity - from nuclear energy and renewable sources - and low electricity prices.
Even the best location needs political support
However, it also became clear at the event that hydrogen and the energy transition, even with the good natural conditions and existing industrial infrastructure of Sea Lapland, are not self-sustaining. A 2-gigawatt wind farm is on hold due to a lack of power purchase agreements, it was said on the sidelines of the event. And uncertainty about the political climate is also a recurring topic. Producing fuels from captured CO2 instead of fossil raw materials is only financially viable if the political pressure for climate protection is strong enough, be it in the form of quotas for aviation fuels or CO2 levies for emitting steelworks. At the same time, there must be political willingness to bear the additional costs. So far, the corresponding goals and conditions are in place in the EU. Now Europe must ensure that it remains so - because without trust in the political framework, no one will invest billions in these projects.
