Czech Business Today
EU Hydrogen revolution
The European Commission presented a Hydrogen Strategy on 8th July 2020. It sets, among other things, that from 2025 to 2030 hydrogen needs to become an intrinsic part of our integrated energy system with the production of up to ten million tonnes of renewable hydrogen in the EU. From 2030 to 2050 renewable hydrogen technologies should reach maturity and be deployed on a large scale across all hard-to-decarbonise sectors. Hydrogen should pave the way to the decarbonisation of the EU economy.
The strategy highlights that it is not only about the energy system, but that “the whole industry can benefit from hydrogen”. At the same time, it is important to synchronise the demand and supply and ensure that there is an appropriate infrastructure. If nobody wants to use it, those who invested in its production will have no customers. The reasons for hydrogen deployment and its costs were the subject of a CEBRE online debate organised with partners on 13th October.
In line with the EU strategy, the Czech Republic is preparing its own national Hydrogen strategy and Mr Mervart, who is responsible for drafting the text, said at the debate that “the Czech Hydrogen strategy should grasp hydrogen as the fuel of the future, because it is ecological, highly efficient and is able to be stored”. However, he stressed that the input costs for its production will be very high at the beginning, that is why the “support to hydrogen” was included in the national Fund for recovery. The national Hydrogen strategy should be linked to other sectoral strategies in order to ensure efficient cooperation mechanisms. And last but not least, Mr Mervart added that “it should look for areas / sectors where the use of hydrogen will be the most effective.” Hydrogen production makes more sense in countries with high solar intensity.
Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is not such a country, but Czechia has an industrial tradition, and the upgrading of gas infrastructures offers a great opportunity. “If we are able to supply these components, we will be able to supply them everywhere. Industry has a tradition in mechanical engineering and should take this opportunity”, highlighted MEP Mikuláš Peksa (CZ, Greens/EFA). “We should export valves and import hydrogen”, explained Peksa.
Aleš Doucek from the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP) agreed with starting the shift of energy and mobility from fossil fuels to green fuels. However, he considers the idea to import hydrogen to the Czech Republic from abroad as awkward. Doucek explained that the cost of hydrogen transportation would increase its final price. In the debate with participants, it has been stressed that it would make more sense to start to deploy hydrogen in small areas that would serve as pilots. Pilot projects in regions could reveal how to make the most of this opportunity.
