On April 24, The Switch took part in the third edition of Energy House Day 2025 in Stord, Norway. Held at the cutting-edge Energy House test center, the event offered a hands-on look at groundbreaking developments in areas such as green shipping, sustainable energy systems and future fuels.
This year’s event was a total full house, underlining the strong role Norway plays as a front-runner in the marine industry’s zero-emissions movement. A good mix of approximately 200 shipowners, ship designers, system integrators, product suppliers, ship yards, technology developers and consultants – attended the event and saw The Switch products as part of the tour.
“The goal of the day was to introduce our facilities and capabilities,” says Paul Atherton, General Manager, The Switch. “And to emphasize our products’ role in allowing much of the testing to take place at the Energy House – a vessel on land – as we like to call it. We were also pleased that management representatives from our company owners, BEMAC and Mitsui & Co. Ltd, joined for this special day.”
As one of the key technology partners, The Switch plays a central role in the Energy House mission. The company’s DC-Hubs and power electronics are at the core of the test center’s work on energy transfer, enabling fuel cell technologies powered by hydrogen, ammonia and other alternative energy sources.
Growing real-world experience
“This event has really grown over the years, with everything feeling more mature and complete,” Atherton says. “Our infrastructure has expanded over the past few years, giving us more to show and more running hours on several parts of the setup. That makes a big difference when talking about real-world experience versus theoretical plans. We’ve learned a lot, especially when it comes to new technologies, like ammonia-cracking and running engines directly on ammonia.”
Teemu Heikkilä, Product Line Director, Power Electronics, The Switch, agrees: “Testing is really important in marine to ensure the safety and compatibility of various system parts. We are able to test different products together in a real testing environment at The Energy House to guarantee the best possible results for end users.”
There’s a real sense that the energy transition is no longer just about ideas – it’s already happening.
“We kept hearing that Stord is regarded as the “mecca” of sustainable energy solutions and testing infrastructure. We’re putting things into place and building up a real, full-scale working infrastructure,” Atherton emphasizes. “That’s something that gives a lot of credibility to our technologies and approach.”
Planting seeds for the future
The Energy House Day 2025 highlighted the power of collaboration and testing to accelerate innovation and meet the fast-approaching climate goals.
“It is great to see that the whole green energy ecosystem is getting more serious, more connected – and ready for real action,” Atherton says.
The event is a chance to see what others are working on and helped the participants connect with people who share the same goal of building toward sustainability. The Switch got many good questions with detailed discussions during their part of the Energy House tour.
“It’s about planting seeds for the future. And we at The Switch are proud to be part of this mission toward a zero-emissions future,” he concludes.
Thanks to all for making this day such a success!