Ukraine's GTS Company is preparing to transport hydrogen, which will become a tool for the demilitarization of energy
The issue of hydrogen transportation should be considered in advance, along with the planning of projects for the production of green hydrogen in Ukraine. GTS Ukraine has been aware of this since 2020 and has included hydrogen in its strategic plans.
According to Mykola Kadenskyi, Head of the Network Development Department of the GTS operator in Ukraine, the company's experts have been studying technical policies, working with international specialists, and improving approaches to prepare for the time when hydrogen will replace natural gas in energy mixes. After all, GTS must be ready to provide logistical services for the transportation of energy carriers to customers.
Currently, GTS has more than 33,000 km of pipelines, over 50 compressor stations that supply gas to Ukrainian consumers and European clients, and nearly 1,300 stations that perform pressure reduction for distribution networks.
More than 13,000 employees work in the GTS. The challenges associated with the war in Ukraine have changed the company's policy:
"We are actively involved in defense, helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and working towards Ukraine's energy security," said Mykola Kadenskyi. "We now see important changes in energy policies aimed not only at decarbonizing the sector. Demilitarization of energy is currently at the forefront, as Russia is effectively using energy resources as a weapon. Therefore, we must switch to other energy sources that will allow Ukraine to be energy independent, including hydrogen."
Regarding the prospects of transporting hydrogen through Ukraine's GTS, the company sees its own strategic planning across several horizons - from projects aimed at optimizing and efficiently using the asset portfolio to helping resist Russian aggression. An important aspect is activities towards increasing national energy security. As an alternative, biomethane, whose producers are already joining the GTS, as well as hydrogen, are being considered.
As for hydrogen, our strategic priority is to participate in these processes and become useful in the supply chain, where our competence is pipeline transportation, the speaker assured. - Moreover, we must implement the overall strategic goals of the Memorandum of Ukraine with the EU regarding renewable gases. Therefore, hydrogen aspects play an important role in our practice. At the same time, we understand that hydrogen requires not only local and regional solutions, but a general partnership of different countries and sectors.
Mykola Kadenskyi also emphasized the importance of Ukraine's entry into the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which brings together about 30 European gas transmission system operators. This allows for interaction - from information exchange and partnership building, to participation in key strategic forums, roundtables, and other events on implementing the Hydrogen Strategy for a climate-neutral Europe.
The company already recognizes the need to attract new knowledge, technologies, and investments into the field of green hydrogen. One important task is to train specialists:
"In 2025, the demand for sailors who have skills in working with energy installations on hydrogen and ammonia will be 100,000 people, and by 2030, 800,000," the speaker announced the projected figure. "Their knowledge must correspond to the technical requirements of the equipment they will be working with. That is why we need to approach the issue of forming a new generation of employees systematically."
The speaker assured that the company has a powerful engineering school and technological achievements, and the chemical industry has experience working with hydrogen technological equipment. It is essential to integrate this legacy into the new future at a new qualitative level.
"It is very symbolic that during the war, we find the strength to work with the best and prepare our country for the future, where there will be a place for clean energy carriers," noted Mykola Kadenskyi.