Page 10 - FSUOGM Week 30 2021

FSUOGM ENERGY TRANSITION FSUOGM

EBRD to help Ukraine explore

hydrogen potential

UKRAINE THE European Bank for Reconstruction and However, GTSOU CEO Sergiy Makogon also
Development (EBRD) has agreed to help stressed the role of natural gas as a transition fuel
To realise its green Ukraine develop its hydrogen energy potential. in an accompanying statement. Hydrogen can
hydrogen potential, The EU financier announced on July 23 that it be derived from this gas through the process of
Ukraine would need had signed an agreement with the Gas Transmis- steam methane reforming, and it is judged as
to significantly upscale sion System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) to low-carbon if carbon capture and storage (CCS)
its renewable energy co-operate in developing low-carbon hydrogen technology is used to capture CO2 from the pro-
capacity. and the necessary supply chains. The pact comes cess. Ukraine has ample gas supply of its own, in
just over a year after the pair signed a memoran- addition to the Russian deliveries it carries to the
dum on sustainable energy investments in the rest of Europe.
former Soviet state. The head of Ukrainian national gas company
The EU is preparing for a rapid deployment of Naftogaz, Yuriy Vitrenko, revealed earlier this
hydrogen in the decades to come, seeing the fuel month that talks were underway with German
as a solution for decarbonising difficult-to-abate partners on establishing hydrogen trade from
industries and a means of storing excess renewa- Ukraine to Germany. The latter has estimated it
ble energy. Hydrogen can be produced in several will need substantial imports to meet its future
ways, but the EU’s favoured option is the use of hydrogen needs.
electrolysers powered by renewable energy that To realise its green hydrogen potential,
can separate the fuel from water. This so-called Ukraine would need to significantly upscale
green hydrogen becomes increasingly viable as its renewable energy capacity. The country has
renewable energy costs fall, the EBRD noted. already expanded its clean energy sector sub-
“Ukraine relies heavily on fossil fuels across stantially in recent years, supported by interna-
all sectors of its economy and hydrogen can rep- tional developers and investors. It boasted 7,331
resent a good alternative for decarbonisation, MW of operational solar energy capacity at the
and reduce reliance on fossil fuels,” the EBRD end of last year, up from only 188 MW in 2011.
said. “Supporting the green transition of our Its wind power capacity has likewise grown to
economies is a key priority for the EBRD.” 1,402 MW from 146 MW nine years ago. ™

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