Technip FMC Green Hydrogen Infrastructure, 1 Hardanger Project with Statkraft, and 2 Strategic Alliances (2021 to 2026)

Technip FMC Pivots to Subsea Hydrogen Infrastructure Projects

Technip FMC has executed a strategic pivot from developing integrated offshore hydrogen production systems to focusing on the critical subsea infrastructure for hydrogen transport and storage. This move leverages its core competency in subsea engineering to solve a primary bottleneck for the offshore hydrogen economy, positioning the company as an essential technology enabler rather than a direct energy producer in a volatile market.

Deep Purple’s Integrated System Vision (2021-2024)

Between 2021 and 2024, Technip FMC’s strategy centered on the ambitious Deep Purple™ initiative. This concept aimed to create a complete, self-contained offshore energy ecosystem by integrating offshore wind power with water electrolysis and subsea hydrogen storage to overcome the intermittency of renewables. The goal was to provide a stable, dispatchable supply of green energy. This phase was defined by partnerships to build a complete value chain, such as the collaboration with electrolyzer manufacturer Mc Phy and floating wind developer Magnora. This approach represented a high-level systems integration play, attempting to solve the entire offshore green hydrogen puzzle in one comprehensive solution.

Hardanger Project’s Infrastructure Focus (2025)

In 2025, the strategy became more focused and pragmatic, concentrating on the components where Technip FMC holds a distinct competitive advantage: subsea hardware. The cornerstone of this new focus is the Hardanger Hydrogen Project in Norway, developed with partners including Statkraft. This project is not about integrated energy systems but is specifically designed to qualify the company’s proprietary subsea hydrogen storage solutions, including specialized pressure vessels, valves, and connectors. This represents a “picks and shovels” strategy, aiming to supply the essential hardware required for any large-scale offshore hydrogen development, thereby de-risking its business model from the uncertainties of hydrogen production economics.

Market Realities, Technip FMC Avoids 6 M Tonnes of Cancelled Projects

Technip FMC’s strategic shift toward infrastructure appears prudent when set against a challenging market where many large-scale hydrogen production projects have been paused or canceled. This industry-wide recalibration, driven by high costs and demand uncertainty, validates a strategy focused on de-risked, technology-led commercialization rather than speculative, capital-intensive production ventures.

Widespread Industry Project Delays

The 2025 market is characterized by significant headwinds for hydrogen producers. Reports indicate that strategic pivots and economic challenges have led to the cancellation of projects representing approximately 6 million tonnes per annum of planned low-carbon hydrogen capacity. Furthermore, with only 13% of announced global offtake volumes secured through binding agreements, producers face persistent uncertainty about future demand. This market reality has forced many developers, unlike the focused approach taken by firms such as Iberdrola, to reconsider their timelines and investment plans.

Technip FMC’s De-Risking Strategy

By concentrating on subsea infrastructure, Technip FMC effectively sidesteps the direct market risks faced by hydrogen producers. Instead of competing in the crowded and capital-intensive electrolyzer and production space, the company is positioning itself as an indispensable supplier for offshore projects. Its success is tied to the overall growth of the offshore hydrogen sector, not the profitability of any single production facility. This focus is reinforced by the finalization of crucial policy support like the Section 45 V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit in the U.S. in early 2025, which is expected to slowly unlock investment and create future demand for the very infrastructure Technip FMC is developing.

Table: Global Low-Carbon Hydrogen Project Cancellations (as of 2025)

Technip FMC Alliances, from Electrolyzers to Offshore Execution

Technip FMC has built a network of strategic alliances that mirror its strategic evolution, shifting from partnerships focused on the complete hydrogen value chain to more targeted collaborations centered on project execution and core subsea technologies. This reflects a move from exploring a new market to servicing it with proven expertise.

Early-Stage Technology Partnerships

The company’s initial foray into hydrogen was marked by broad, technology-focused partnerships. In October 2020, Technip FMC invested in and formed a strategic collaboration with French electrolyzer manufacturer Mc Phy. The intent was to co-develop large-scale electrolysis plants by combining Mc Phy’s technology with Technip FMC’s project management skills. This alliance was fundamental to the integrated vision of the Deep Purple™ concept, aiming to control key components of the green hydrogen production process.

Project-Specific Execution Alliances

By 2025, the partnership model had matured to focus on execution and the deployment of core competencies. The alliance with Statkraft for the Hardanger Hydrogen Project is a prime example, bringing together an energy major and a technology provider to validate a specific piece of infrastructure. Similarly, ongoing joint ventures, such as the one with DOF Subsea that secured long-term vessel contracts with Petrobras, reinforce its deepwater project execution capabilities, which are directly transferable to deploying the complex subsea systems required for future hydrogen and carbon capture projects like the Northern Endurance Partnership.

Table: Technip FMC Hydrogen and Energy Transition Partnerships

Europe as the Core, Technip FMC Norway Hydrogen Focus

Technip FMC’s hydrogen activities are geographically concentrated in Europe, with Norway serving as the primary testbed for its advanced subsea hydrogen technologies. This regional focus allows the company to leverage established offshore infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and supportive regulatory environments to de-risk and mature its solutions before potential global deployment.

Norway’s Role as a Testbed for Technip FMC

Norway is central to Technip FMC’s hydrogen strategy, hosting both the pilot for the Deep Purple™ concept and the critical 2025 Hardanger Hydrogen Project. The country’s extensive offshore oil and gas history provides existing infrastructure and deep institutional knowledge in subsea operations. By proving its subsea storage and transport systems in the demanding North Sea environment, Technip FMC aims to create a validated, bankable solution that can be exported to other emerging offshore hydrogen hubs.

Global Application of Subsea Expertise

While hydrogen development is focused on Norway, Technip FMC’s underlying subsea expertise is applied globally, creating transferable skills and reinforcing its market position. For instance, the alliance with Cairn Oil & Gas in India and contracts with Eni in Indonesia demonstrate its leadership in integrated engineering and project execution in diverse offshore environments. These traditional energy projects hone the same capabilities required for large-scale offshore carbon capture and hydrogen infrastructure, positioning the company to compete for contracts worldwide as the energy transition progresses.

Technip FMC From System R&D to Component Qualification

Technip FMC’s technological progression in hydrogen shows a distinct maturation from high-level system research and development to the focused, commercial qualification of specific hardware. This shift indicates a move from exploring what is possible to proving what is commercially viable and reliable, a necessary step for market acceptance and large-scale adoption.

Maturing the Integrated Offshore Concept

The initial phase of Technip FMC’s hydrogen work, embodied by the Deep Purple™ initiative, was focused on proving the feasibility of a fully integrated offshore green hydrogen production system. This involved significant R&D in combining renewable power generation, electrolysis, and subsea storage into a single, cohesive unit. This work successfully advanced the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the overall system concept but also highlighted the immense complexity and the specific technological bottlenecks that needed to be resolved, particularly around hydrogen storage and transport.

Qualifying Hydrogen-Ready Subsea Hardware

By 2025, the focus had narrowed to one of those key bottlenecks: subsea infrastructure. The Hardanger Hydrogen Project is designed to validate specific components, such as pressure vessels and connectors, for the unique material and safety challenges of handling hydrogen under high pressure in a subsea environment. This work is less about system-level design and more about rigorous, component-level testing and qualification. Successful validation from this project would provide the market with certified, off-the-shelf solutions, significantly de-risking future offshore hydrogen projects for developers, a pragmatic approach also seen at companies like Weatherford.

SWOT Analysis, Technip FMC Hydrogen Execution vs. Market Risk

Technip FMC’s hydrogen strategy in 2025 capitalizes on its deep-seated strengths in subsea engineering while navigating the external threats of a nascent and volatile market. The key change has been a strategic pivot to mitigate weaknesses and external risks by focusing on a more defensible segment of the value chain.

Table: SWOT Analysis for Technip FMC Hydrogen Initiatives for 2025: Key Projects, Strategies and Partnerships

Hardanger Project Validation, Technip FMC’s Critical Next Step

The single most critical event for Technip FMC’s hydrogen strategy is the successful technical qualification of its subsea storage systems from the Hardanger project. This outcome will serve as the definitive proof-of-concept for its infrastructure-led approach and will determine its ability to secure commercial contracts for the next wave of offshore energy developments.

• If Technip FMC successfully validates its hydrogen-rated subsea pressure vessels, valves, and connectors through the Hardanger Project, watch for the announcement of a first commercial-scale supply contract or a new joint industry project aimed at standardization.
• A positive outcome would signal that the technical challenges of subsea hydrogen storage are solvable, potentially accelerating final investment decisions for offshore green hydrogen projects that have been stalled on logistical concerns. This could establish Technip FMC as the go-to supplier for this critical niche.
• Conversely, if the project reveals significant material science or safety challenges, it could signal a major setback for the offshore hydrogen industry’s timelines. This would force Technip FMC and its peers to return to a more fundamental R&D phase, delaying commercialization and reaffirming the cautious stance taken by some large players like Berkshire Hathaway.

The questions your competitors are already asking

This report covers one angle of TechnipFMC’s hydrogen strategy. The questions that matter most depend on your work.

• Hydrogen embrittlement in subsea pipelines
• Offshore hydrogen infrastructure competitors
• Companies signing green hydrogen supply contracts
• Status of UK carbon capture projects

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