April 16, 2021 – Given Ukraine’s large potential for hydrogen production, the Ukrainian gas transportation infrastructure will be used to export clean fuel to the EU, – said representatives of the industry initiative of European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB), which unites 23 EU gas infrastructure companies, at a webinar in April. As part of the development of infrastructure to facilitate decarbonization, the EHB group proposes to rebuild a number of pipelines for hydrogen, connecting the EU markets with gas exporting countries.
During the event, GTS operators from Poland and Hungary noted their intentions to adapt the existing gas transportation infrastructure of these countries for the integration of future Ukrainian hydrogen producers with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Operators of the GTS in Slovakia and the Czech Republic have confirmed a similar readiness.
“The GTS Operator takes into account the potential of hydrogen development in its strategy, and we are actively studying this innovative direction, – noted Pawel Stanczak, Deputy General Director for Development and Transformation of GTSOU. – We are currently cooperating with European operators in order to regulate all technological, regulatory and economic aspects of hydrogen transportation with the aim of energy transition to carbon-free energy”.
The European Hydrogen Backbone industry initiative includes European gas infrastructure companies. A group of EHB participants presents a vision of a 39.7 thousand km hydrogen pipeline infrastructure in 21 countries: 69% of the proposed hydrogen network consists of adapted existing gas transmission networks, and 31% is new infrastructure required to connect new producers. According to EHB participants, natural gas and hydrogen will be able to compete for the same pipeline infrastructure by 2035. However, the expected results will largely depend on political support for increased use of hydrogen and the overall development of the hydrogen and natural gas markets.