Statoil said it would offer the service at an existing Statoil service station adjacent to its headquarters in Stavanger on Norway's west coast.

"Plans call for natural gas to be available as an automotive fuel at the station next year, with hydrogen following in 2006," Statoil said in a statement.

Hydrogen is seen by many as a fuel of the future as the only emissions from cells is pure water. Hydrogen cars are being developed by the auto industry, but are still mainly experimental.Hydrogen filling stations have already been opened in other countries including Iceland and Germany.

Statoil said that the project to offer natural gas and hydrogen filling for vehicles in Stavanger is in cooperation with gas supplier Lyse, an energy park, a research center, a taxi company and local and regional authorities.

The filling station will offer hydrogen produced by reforming natural gas, a Statoil official said.

Statoil said the pilot station will also be a step in a national initiative to create a "hydrogen road" from Stavanger to Oslo in the future. According to that project's website, car drivers will be able to fill up at hydrogen stations along that road by the end of the 2005-2008 period.