The development of the hydrogen economy should promote the development of Ukrainian industry in all sectors, where its use can replace imported energy resources, increase energy security and decarbonisation.
This was stated by the head of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency Valery Bezus at the opening of a discussion on the use of hydrogen in various sectors of the economy of Ukraine, according to the State Agency for Energy Efficiency on Facebook.
The event was opened together with the "Energy Club". Promising areas of hydrogen use were discussed by representatives of the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Union of Chemists of Ukraine, AZOT PJSC, Ukrevroconsulting LLC, the Gas Institute, the Institute of Technical Thermophysics and the Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy Nekrasova.
Bezus emphasized that Ukraine has a strong chemical and metallurgical industries.
"For example, technologies for direct reduction of iron, where hydrogen is used, have significant prospects. They allow not only to replace gas and coal, but also to achieve maximum energy efficiency and decarbonization of iron and steel production. There is great potential for hydrogen in the chemical industry etc," he said.
The material noted that it is advisable to develop a hydrogen economy based on the development of system clusters.
"For Ukraine, the development of hydrogen energy is a challenge to position itself in the new world economy and gain a powerful impetus to build its own economy on the latest technological base with a new type of energy.
The development of the hydrogen economy requires coordination at the national level. The State Agency for Energy Efficiency, as a cross-sectoral authority, is ready to implement the relevant national policy.
The hydrogen strategy takes into account the proposals of the Ministry of Energy on the spectrum of sectors of the economy where the potential for hydrogen use is considered.
During the discussion, experts from the Ministry of Infrastructure spoke about the prospects for hydrogen for the transport sector. It is considered as an alternative fuel to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products and reduce harmful emissions. The experience of other countries is currently being studied and active work is underway to implement it in Ukraine. Hydrogen safety is a priority.
"To reduce the amount of harmful emissions by 30% by 2030, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of traditional fuels in transport by 25%. Therefore, alternatives are being considered," said Minister of Infrastructure Serhiy Mashtabey.
Director of the Gas Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Hennadiy Zhuk confirmed the significant potential and benefits of hydrogen for metallurgy, especially for the production of pure iron.
"We have built a complex that allows you to get pure sponge iron. We also have large multi-fuel burners that can use both natural gas and hydrogen-containing mixtures. We also use hydrogen-containing fuels in internal combustion engines. For example, we solved the problem of detonation when using high hydrogen content in gaseous fuels," he said.
Adviser to the President of the Union of Chemists of Ukraine Oleksandr Hrytsenko emphasized that in the short and medium term the most efficient will be the production and consumption of hydrogen in Ukrainian chemical clusters, where hydrogen is a raw material in the production of green ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers. In the long run, these clusters should be the basis for hydrogen production and integration with the EU delivery system.
Andriy Zakrevskyi, Chairman of the Board of the Oil and Gas Association of Ukraine, stressed the potential for the use of hydrogen in the chemical industry and ready-made Ukrainian developments in this field.
"We must also take into account the development of the hydrogen economy in the country's reconstruction programs, which we are developing today and which we hope to address after a speedy victory over the enemy," Bezus concluded.
We will remind, in DTEK they voiced ambitious plans on Ukraine's clean energy in the EU after the war.
As EcoPolitics reported earlier, the transportation of hydrogen through the GTS may be risky step.
