Akershus Energy Park, one of Europe’s most modern and future-oriented district heating plants, was opened in Lillestrøm in 2011. The plant produces district heating based on local, renewable energy sources:

• Wood chips
• Heat pump
• Solar systems
• bio-oil

Akershus Energi is a medium sized Norwegian producer of hydroelectric power. Akershus Energy Park is based on a close and targeted collaboration between Akershus Energi, business and research and educational institutions in the region. The UN’s Panel on Climate Change gave honest mention of the facility in its report on renewable energy sources in 2011.

Norway’s first large-scale solar heating system is located in the energy park. Nearly 13,000 sqm solar collectors are deployed.

The Energy Park is also the location of IFE Hynor Hydrogen Technology Center (IFE Hynor), a fuel cell and hydrogen technology test center owned and operated by IFE. The test center includes a small-scale hydrogen refueling station (HRS) capable of high-pressure (700 bar) and fast refueling (3 minutes) of PEM-based (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The IFE Hynor test facility also includes the possibility to supply various qualities of biogas and hydrogen (on-site production or bottled gas) and advanced gas analysis equipment.