The expert panel discussion titled “Green Hydrogen: Perspectives and Challenges” was successfully held at the Europe House in Sarajevo, organized by the Association for Green Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Sources “UzH2OIE.”
The event attracted the attention of numerous stakeholders from the public, private, and academic sectors, confirming the increasing importance of green hydrogen in modern energy strategies. The focus of the discussion was on the potential and challenges of applying green hydrogen as a key factor in the energy transition towards cleaner energy sources in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Panelists Dr. Jasmin Šehović, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Sarajevo; Faris Babić, President of UzH2OIE and renewable energy expert; Faruk Cerić, Senior Manager at the Sarajevo Development Agency (SERDA); and Andrej Marković, MSc, through a two-hour discussion, presented their views on the potential, challenges, and future development of green hydrogen-based technologies.
Dr. Jasmin Šehović stated that the panel discussion was an excellent opportunity to open important topics about the role of hydrogen in the decarbonization of transport. He particularly highlighted the application of green hydrogen in sectors where electrification is difficult to achieve, such as heavy transport, primarily freight vehicles and machinery, due to its combustion without carbon emissions.
“The topic is also current in the expert community, as evidenced by the recently held training organized by the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH, supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, on the topic ‘Hydrogen as a Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines in the Decarbonization of Transport,’ which was the first of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” added Šehović.
Faris Babić, President of UzH2OIE and expert in renewable energy sources, added that green hydrogen is not only an energy solution but also a development opportunity for the academic community, young engineers in BiH, and the entire industry. “It is also important to raise public awareness about the importance of transitioning to clean energy sources, among which green hydrogen is becoming increasingly important. If we make strategic moves now, we have the opportunity to be competitive in the global race for energy sustainability. Several sectors could economically benefit, including heavy industry, transport, energy, and even agriculture,” concluded Babić.
Faruk Cerić, Senior Manager at SERDA, emphasized that hydrogen is becoming increasingly interesting due to the possibility of producing it using electricity from renewable sources. Cerić said that this way, hydrogen can be produced at locations where photovoltaic plants or wind farms exist, stored, and later used in industries that are suitable for its application.
“For such a solution to become a reality, it is crucial to develop technologies that will ensure the safe storage of hydrogen and its efficient use on a larger scale. This involves continuous investments in research and development, aiming to find solutions that will overcome the current technical and safety challenges related to hydrogen storage and usage,” stated Cerić.
Andrej Marković, MSc, a young Bosnian engineer currently pursuing his doctoral studies at the Free University of Bolzano, spoke about the transition to a hydrogen economy. “It is necessary to bring green hydrogen and hydrogen technologies closer to the public and dispel the myth that everything will explode when used. It is essential to invest in the education of engineering staff who will deal with this topic in the future, design, manage, and maintain these systems, and find new technical solutions. Global interests and hype will certainly lead to mass production of components, which will reduce costs and accelerate the transition to a hydrogen economy,” said Marković.
After the official part of the panel, an interactive discussion followed with the participants, during which the panelists answered numerous questions, exchanged experiences, and opened space for further collaboration and idea exchange in the field of sustainable energy.
A Member of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina stated that the “Green Hydrogen: Perspectives and Challenges” panel discussion was an excellent opportunity to exchange views with representatives of the academic community from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sarajevo and experts from the Association for Green Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Sources – “UzH2OIE.”
“Very important information was shared about the significance of transitioning to renewable energy sources, using hydrogen as a fuel in the future, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the decarbonization process in BiH, to which we committed by signing international agreements. There are big challenges ahead, and when we open negotiating chapters, especially Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change, and Chapter 15 – Energy, it is crucial to act efficiently and include the opinions of experts in these fields. In the political decision-making process, from local to global levels, without expertise, there are no quality regulations, and without quality regulations, there is no progress or satisfied parties,” said Hrvić-Šikuljak.
At the end of the discussion, participants thanked editor Arnes Biogradlija and journalist Anela Dokso from EnergyNews for their presence and support during the event. They highlighted that they are proud of the existence of a unique platform like this, which enables the exchange of ideas and the promotion of important energy and ecological initiatives. They also added that there is a great need for a broader regional story about green hydrogen and its role in the energy transition and that efforts will continue to work on spreading this story to the public in the future.
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