Bulgaria considers mobilizing over €3B for hydrogen technologies

To encourage the exploitation of the potential of hydrogen technologies, the nation can mobilize resources within 3.2 billion for a variety of programs and initiatives, including private investment, over the course of the next 5 to 7 years.

Maria Todorova, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth’s Director of the Policy and Analysis Department, said as much (MIR). She claims that a Roadmap for the development of hydrogen technologies is being created in collaboration with representatives from business and academia. It aims to direct the industry toward a hydrogen-based economy with an emphasis on the so-called hydrogen economy. green hydrogen.

Todorova emphasized that grants, financial instruments, and a combination of the two will be used to finance hydrogen technology for production, storage, and export.

There is a lot of interest in the industry, she said, adding that a set of measures related to the green transition are only anticipated through MIR under the Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises (CIP) programs and the Research, Innovation, and Digitalization for Intelligent Transformation Program (PCIDIT).

Only 20 countries in the world have the so-called, according to the director of the MIR’s Policy and Analysis Directorate. As one of the first countries to support the development of such a project to support the sector, Bulgaria has created hydrogen valleys.

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“One of the nine projects under the Horizon Europe program for which the European Commission will provide funding in the first call for proposals in 2022 is the hydrogen valley project in Bulgaria, which is intended to be implemented in the Maritsa Basin. It is one of only 37 projects in 20 countries (as of right now). Also, the project will get EUR 8 million in funding from the Science and Innovation Programme (MIR), and more than EUR 30 million will be used to build the entire hydrogen infrastructure that is planned. Euro “She said that representatives from businesses and scientific groups will take part in the project in a statement to BTV.

Todorova clarified that the Hydrogen Valleys are local ecosystems that connect the production, transportation, and consumption of hydrogen by end users such as electromobility or industry and stated that she anticipates its deployment as early as 2023 with a deadline of 5 years.

“The processes for implementing innovations in businesses with a combined budget of around 300 million euros, as well as for developing innovations for more than 120 million lv. Two of the prospects for the sector to invest in these technologies as early as this year are covered by the CIP “She spoke.

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According to her, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan also carries out investments in the circular economy, green transition, and climate neutrality. Todorova provided an example of a procedure that was launched on February 14 as part of the MIR Plan for the company’s building of RES installations. It has a 200 million euro budget. According to Todorova, “The production of green hydrogen by electrolysis of water powered by RES (e.g. photovoltaics) is a secure approach towards decarbonization of the economy and suited for carbon-intensive manufacturing.

She clarified that non-polluting green hydrogen has numerous uses in industry, transportation, energy, and building.

“It is a crucial raw ingredient for several vital sectors, including the production of ammonia, nitrogen fertilizers, as well as traditional transportation fuels. In the transportation sector, hydrogen can minimize harmful emissions through fuel cell electromobility, and the conversion and storage of energy in the form of hydrogen created by electrolysis of water ensures its simple redistribution between industries and regions “She spoke.

In order to speed up research and innovation in the field, including the commercialization of hydrogen technologies, Maria Todorova emphasized that MIR is the responsible institution for creating the National Roadmap for the Development of Hydrogen Technologies in the nation.

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“The Hydrogen Map is a strategic plan to establish the prerequisites for advancement in the application of these technologies. It will soon be submitted to the Council of Ministers for adoption following talks in the working group and interdepartmental cooperation “Todorova stated.

She emphasized that the creation of this document is listed as one of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan’s primary reforms and that its goal is to establish the fundamental legal, financial, and administrative foundations and frameworks for the production and delivery of hydrogen.

In the Thematic Area “Clean Technologies, Circular, and Low Carbon Economy,” where hydrogen production with a focus on green hydrogen and hydrogen use in industry, energy, transport, and households are envisaged as subareas, Todorova recalled that MIR has also updated the Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization of Bulgaria. According to her, this serves as the foundation for the initiatives that provide funding for clean technology.