Electric Power Company of Serbia (EPS) has recently launched an analysis of the possibilities and justification of using facilities for the production and storage of hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuel, which will show the possibilities and ways of using it for the needs of citizens.
In the EPS, they state that it is necessary to determine the potential locations, size and way of use of the plant, as well as that the goal is energy storage, diversification of storage, reduction of fossil fuel consumption, and a general increase in energy efficiency of production energy.
The interlocutors of "Vremen" indicate that the use of green hydrogen has significant advantages compared to classic fossil fuels, but they add that it is necessary to do a lot in order for the use of green hydrogen to become widespread in Serbia.
Specific technology required
Dr. Ivana Perović from the Physical Chemistry Laboratory of the Institute of Nuclear Sciences "Vinča" reminds that in the era of accelerated climate change and energy uncertainty, the world is increasingly turning to renewable energy sources.
She emphasizes that one of the most promising energy carriers in that context is green hydrogen.
"The term hydrogen energy, in a narrower sense, can be interpreted as chemical energy contained in hydrogen itself. However, the broader meaning of this term means the use of hydrogen as a medium for energy manipulation," says Perović.
As he explains, in order to be used as a fuel or raw material, hydrogen must be produced from the compounds in which it is present, which requires energy and specific technologies.
"Almost 96 percent of the world's hydrogen production involves the use of fossil fuels, while only four percent is produced from renewable sources," explains Perović for "Vreme".
She states that the most common ways of obtaining hydrogen are the reforming of natural gas, that is, the reaction of methane with steam, the gasification of coal or biomass, while the less common methods are water electrolysis, that is, the decomposition of water with the help of electricity, as well as thermal or photochemical decomposition of water.
"Green hydrogen is obtained through the process of electrolysis of water, whereby water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen with the help of electricity obtained exclusively from renewable sources - sun, wind or hydropower. For this process, electrolyzer plants are necessary, which essentially consist of electrolysis devices, water purification systems and safety equipment for storing and manipulating hydrogen," says Perović.
High energy density
The "Vremena" interviewee points out that hydrogen has an extremely high energy density per unit of mass, even three times higher than gasoline, but stresses that its production is currently not cheap.
He adds that the cost depends on the price of electricity, the efficiency of the electrolyzer and the size of the plant. The efficiency of converting electricity into hydrogen in the water electrolysis process is about 60-70 percent, with additional losses during storage and use.
Perović notes that the current price of such production is around four to six euros per kilogram, which is more expensive than hydrogen obtained from fossil fuels.
"It is expected that with the development of technology and falling prices of renewable energy, its profitability will increase significantly, and many forecasts show that this could happen already in the next decade," says Perović.
As he points out, unlike fossil fuels, the burning of which releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other polluting gases, green hydrogen does not emit harmful gases, and the only byproduct is clean water.
Even the production of green hydrogen, if only green electricity is used, leaves no carbon footprint. This is precisely why green hydrogen is considered one of the key energy sources in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Photo: Unsplash/American Public Power AssociationRenewable energy is a prerequisite for the production of green hydrogen
Wide application
Perović indicates that green hydrogen can be applied in industry, especially in refineries, chemical industry and steel production, in transport, as fuel for buses, trains and even airplanes, but also in households, where it can be used for heating or as an energy source for household appliances in combination with fuel cells.
"However, mass use in households requires a completely new infrastructure: hydrogen-resistant pipelines, safe storage systems, as well as household appliances adapted to work on hydrogen. Such systems are already being tested in some parts of the world, such as the Netherlands and Japan," says Perović.
She points out that Serbia, considering the geographical and climatic conditions, has significant potential for the development of green hydrogen production, especially through the use of solar energy in the southern and eastern parts of the country, as well as hydropower thanks to the developed network of rivers and existing hydroelectric power plants.
"This combination of renewable sources enables a stable and sustainable power supply for electrical insulators during most of the year. Additionally, due to its strategic position at the intersection of pan-European energy and transport corridors, Serbia has the chance to become a key transit country in the future European hydrogen distribution network. This would not only raise its importance on the energy map of Europe, but also contribute to the creation of new jobs, attracting investments and strengthening energy security," explains Perović.
Serious investments needed
However, Perović points out that the realization of this potential requires serious investments in research and development of technologies, construction of infrastructure for the production, storage and transport of hydrogen, as well as the adoption of clear and stimulating legal frameworks that would support the development of the hydrogen market.
"The integration of scientific institutes, the academic community and the economy, along with strategic planning and international cooperation, is a key success factor in this process," says Perović.
As he adds, in this context, it is particularly important to point out that scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Sciences "Vinca", an Institute of national importance for the Republic of Serbia and one of the largest scientific centers in the Western Balkans, have been conducting research aimed at developing efficient methods for the production, storage and application of green hydrogen for more than 20 years.
"Their work includes the development of advanced catalytic materials, new generation electrolyzers, technologies for efficient storage and technologies for the use of hydrogen, such as hydrogen fuel cells," says Perović.
A somewhat distant solution
On the other hand, Bojan Gajić, program director of the Platform for Energy Transition, points out that he is an advocate of using green hydrogen above all, and then green gas, but that these are solutions that currently seem a bit far-fetched for our conditions, primarily because of the expensive production.
"In addition, Serbia still does not have enough capacity of renewable energy sources from which we would produce electricity that would be used for electrolysis, because green hydrogen is considered only hydrogen for the production of which only energy obtained from renewable energy sources is used," says Gajić.
He points out that hydrogen is useful because it does not have any harmful effects in itself, and on the other hand, it can easily be used as an energy store, because the energy needed for electrolysis is stored in water.
"Due to the characteristics of green hydrogen, it is necessary to invest a lot in the infrastructure for its production, it is necessary to comply with high safety requirements, because hydrogen is very explosive, which seems difficult to achieve for the time being," Gajić points out.
An advantage over a nuclear power plant
He points out that if one is already thinking about the production of green hydrogen on the one hand and investing in nuclear energy on the other, "both options should be put on the table."
"Investments in the production of green hydrogen are certainly smaller, and the deadlines for the construction of the necessary infrastructure are certainly shorter than the deadlines for the construction of a nuclear power plant," says Gajić.
He says that the production of green hydrogen is more and more present in the world, and that accordingly the price of its production will fall.
Speaking about the energy transition in Serbia in general, Gajić reminds that by signing the Energy Community Agreement, our country has committed itself to follow the European Union regulations and to adhere to the set goals, among which is the achievement of energy neutrality by 2050.
"However, the strategic documents do not show that Serbia will reach that goal, although it should. There is a serious flywheel, especially in the private sector, and in the field of renewable energy sources, large financiers have appeared, but what is definitely missing is the transition process of the entire society, that is, the inclusion of all citizens in the process of using renewable energy sources," says Gajić.
As he explains, in Serbia the energy transition has not yet taken root to the extent that households and citizens would organize themselves or through energy communities in order to massively start using renewable energy sources, whether it is electricity or heat energy.
He indicates that investments in renewable energy sources are large, and that with large financiers, large goals will be achieved.
"The problem is that the market is closed to a larger number of potential bidders, so projects are implemented in a narrow circle of bidders, and that is the only negative aspect of the energy transition," concludes Gajić.
