Ukrainian hydrogen generation project on hydropower facilities is a global innovation
The war in Ukraine, problems in the energy sector, and the overall economy have not hindered the country's plans and scientific developments. On the contrary, the current situation has become the main motivator for Ukraine's pursuit of independence, including energy independence.
According to Oleksandr Riepkin, the President of the Energy Association "Ukrainian Hydrogen Council," Ukraine has been included in the European hydrogen strategy thanks to the development of the potential of renewable energy sources and green hydrogen by the association's experts together with the Institute of Renewable Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
"We have a plan to generate 10 GW of hydrogen capacity. But even in Europe, there was no talk of using hydropower facilities for hydrogen generation. So we are here to present a world-class innovation," emphasized Oleksandr Riepkin, representing speakers from Ukrhydroenergo at the international online conference "Development of Hydrogen Technologies in the World. New Opportunities."
Presenting a pilot project for producing green hydrogen with a capacity of 1 MW based on hydro energy, Yaroslav Pak, the head of the retail market department of Ukrhydroenergo, emphasized its advantages. Besides the low-carbon footprint of the energy produced, hydroelectric power plants have access to water resources that are used in the technological process. Therefore, not utilizing these opportunities would be a huge mistake.
"We are focused on ensuring that Ukraine's Hydrogen Strategy is adopted taking into account our proposals for using hydroelectric power plants as objects for hydrogen production," said the speaker.
Maria Bishko, Director of Investment Projects Implementation Department at Ukrhydroenergo, spoke about the process of preparing the project. A necessary component was the study of European experience and world technologies for hydrogen production.
"Today, more than ever, we understand the relevance of green hydrogen production as an alternative energy source for Ukraine," Maria Bishko noted. "Our pilot project involves installing a 1 megawatt plant that produces 450 kg of hydrogen per day."
Experts consider the project important in terms of the prospects for even small-scale hydrogen production, as it will help to explore all the nuances - from production technology issues, testing of the product, transportation and storage of the substance to understanding the gaps in legislation and regulating this sphere, and more.
The cooperation of Ukrhydroenergo with the German company MAN Energy Solutions was very helpful - experts visited facilities, had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the production of the hydrogen plant, and gained significant practical experience. They saw how hydrogen is used for refueling vehicles in Europe, in mixtures with gas.
At Ukrhydroenergo, they understand that hydrogen generation is only the first step. Without the involvement of other partners, it will not be possible to address issues related to its conversion, delivery, storage, and more. That's why cooperation with transportation companies is already being established today: a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with Naftogaz of Ukraine for collaboration, and joint meetings have been held on the possibilities of hydrogen consumption at refueling stations, and more.
Experts working on this perspective are concerned that in Ukraine, there is currently no specific price set for hydrogen, and there are many legislative and regulatory issues that have yet to be resolved. Therefore, they have high hopes for partnerships and collaborations with other companies, including European ones.