It can be used in the food, chemical, or fertilizer industry instead of fossil fuels, which are now consumed. It is not toxic or corrosive, and combustion produces water – which makes it the most environmentally friendly fuel, says Dejan Stojadinovic, an energy consultant in an interview for “Politika”, who also submitted this proposal for green hydrogen to the Ministry of Energy with details included in the new clean energy law.
Green hydrogen is also mentioned as one of the proposals for reducing carbon dioxide and increasing the presence of clean energy. What is it about, how and from what did you get it?
Hydrogen has been produced for 200 years, and the technologies for its production are not new – only the role of hydrogen in energy is new, because it is considered the main factor that should enable the functioning of energy systems with a large share of solar and wind power, which is a long-term goal for the EU and Serbia. Green hydrogen is obtained by electrolysis, which is also well known, but with the condition that the electricity used for its production – comes from renewable sources. In that way, electricity would be stored, and used in periods when the wind is not blowing or the sun is shining. In addition, hydrogen is not toxic or corrosive, and the combustion of hydrogen produces water – making it the most environmentally friendly fuel.
How much green hydrogen could Serbia produce and how much would it reduce electricity production from lignite coal?
Given that it is produced from water – the potentials are huge, but the limiting factor is the production of electricity from renewable sources. The current production of electricity from solar and wind power plants in Serbia is not very important for the Serbian power system – it participates with about 2.5 percent, but as this share increases, so does the need for electricity storage and the use of green hydrogen. Now is the time to start thinking about it, because the construction of more than 2,000 megawatts of wind power plants is announced in Serbia in the next five to ten years. If these projects are implemented, it would already significantly affect the operation of the entire system, and new conditions must be defined.
The key role of green hydrogen is to enable a large share of renewable energy in our energy system – which means that it would certainly contribute to reducing the need for electricity production from lignite.
Is it necessary to make special plants for green hydrogen and how much would that investment be worth?
For production, it is necessary to invest in an electrolyzer, which costs about two million euros per megawatt. The world’s largest electrolyzer, with a capacity of 10 megawatts, is currently being built at the German refinery in Wesseling, and it is expected that four tons of green hydrogen will be produced per day. In addition, storage and supply infrastructure needs to be built.
Who could use all the energy produced in this way?
Green hydrogen is perhaps easiest to imagine like the gas we now use in Serbia: it is transported in the same way (gas pipelines, bottles, ships) – and can be used to produce electricity, heating, or as a fuel in traffic. The hydrogen that the industry now uses is produced from natural gas – and it emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. In the food, chemical, or fertilizer industries, it is also possible to use green hydrogen instead of hydrogen from fossil fuels, which is now used.
Does the Serbian law on RES already provide for green hydrogen, or will the new law include it in one of the sources of clean energy?
It is included in the draft of the new law, and if it is adopted, it will be recognized as a renewable energy source (RES).
What is the price of clean energy obtained in this way in the EU, what is it spent on the most and what is it produced from?
The hydrogen now used in the EU is also of fossil origin. Only last year, the EU adopted a strategy and set a goal to produce around one million tons of green hydrogen a year by 2024. The price of clean energy thus obtained depends on the price of electricity and the way it will be used, as well as the infrastructure needed to deliver it to consumers. For example, in cases where green hydrogen is used as a motor fuel, it is necessary, in addition to production, to build warehouses, transport hydrogen, and build supply stations.
The commercial price of hydrogen from fossil fuels in Serbia is currently around 20 euros per kilogram, but with increasing consumption, costs are expected to decrease significantly, as was the case with solar panels, whose costs are 10 times lower today than they were today, Politika reports.
