Energy, Estonia, Good for Business, Transport

"By building the hydrogen filling station in Parnu we are starting to build a hydrogen world in Estonia which has so far been nonexistent. We chose Parnu as the first location because it is on the Via Baltica road and therefore matches perfectly with Europe's plans to build a hydrogen highway around the Baltic Sea," CEO of NT Bene, Raigo Pert, told BNS.

According to Pert, transport based on hydrogen technology is a growing trend in Europe, but Estonia has so far not a part of that. But as a result of climate problems and renewable energy sources, hydrogen technology is being noticed in Estonia, he added.

To build the station, NT Bene received support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and is also applying for support from Estonia. According to Pert, building the Parnu station is to cost 5-10 million euros, but the cost of the whole project which also includes building a filling station in Tallinn as well as Tartu would be much higher.

NT Bene is closely cooperating with chemists of the University of Tartu who are the main developers of the hydrogen technology in Estonia, Pert said. "By now we have the necessary technological capability," he added.

NT Bene was established in 2011 and offers energetics consultations.