‘In 50 years’ time no one will be using oil any more’

From the bridge of his boat, the captain looks at what makes him a pioneer of the future. On the remote Norwegian island of Utsira stands a small hydrogen plant with two wind turbines gracefully rotating in the sky. “In 50 years’ time, they will be everywhere. No one will use oil any more!”

Toralf Austrheim is one of about 240 people living on a windswept isle 10 nautical miles off the west coast of Norway. Three times a day, he pilots the only ferry that connects Utsira to the mainland. On most days, the ride is bumpy and nausea-inducing, but on others, the sea is slick as oil. When Mr Austrheim returns home, he enjoys a nice cup of coffee while watching telly, all thanks to the hydrogen plant less than a mile from his doorstep.