MorGen Energy, a European developer of large scale green hydrogen projects and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trafigura, has announced that it has been awarded a conditional grant of up to €422.75 million to support the future operations of its Njordkraft green hydrogen project in Esbjerg, Denmark, under the European Hydrogen Bank auction financed by the EU Innovation Fund.
The award, subject to signing of the grant agreement, represents a milestone towards reaching final investment decision (FID) for the first phase of the Njordkraft development, which comprises 300 MW of electrolyser capacity with the potential to scale to 1 GW over time.
Strategically located in Esbjerg, the project is expected to produce renewable hydrogen compliant with EU Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) standards for delivery to industrial customers in Germany and mainland Europe. The project is designed to connect directly into the developing Danish and German hydrogen backbone system – a cross-border hydrogen pipeline connecting Esbjerg to Heidenau, near Hamburg – and will target offtakers in sectors including steel, refining and energy-intensive manufacturing across Europe.
Targeting production of approximately 45 500 tpy of renewable hydrogen, the project is expected to be one of Europe’s most significant hydrogen developments – contributing to Europe’s energy resilience and industrial decarbonisation ambitions. Alongside pipeline access, the project will benefit from competitively priced renewable power from the Danish power grid.
The award, following a competitive EU-wide auction process, comes as Renewable Energy Directive (RED) III obligations are being implemented across Europe, including in Germany, creating increasing demand for RFNBO-compliant hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels among obligated industrial sectors such as refineries and fuel suppliers.
Werner Lieberherr, CEO of MorGen Energy, said: “Selection under the European Hydrogen Bank is a significant milestone for Njordkraft and reflects the growing momentum behind Europe’s energy market. The project combines access to competitive renewable power resources, strategic infrastructure connectivity and proximity to industrial demand centres in Germany and Europe. We thank the European Commission and all parties involved in the design of the European Hydrogen Fund and remain fully committed to our shared mission. Our focus now turns to progressing commercial discussions with industrial counterparties and advancing the project toward final investment decision and execution.”
MorGen Energy has invested significantly in the project’s development to-date, including land acquisition, permitting, FEED activities, grid connection and financing preparation.
As part of the Trafigura Group, MorGen Energy benefits from broader expertise across global commodity and energy markets, including power, gas and carbon trading, supporting the commercialisation of renewable hydrogen and associated infrastructure.