According to Oleg Nikonorov, director of the Regional Gas Company (RGK), hydrogen will be widely used in Ukraine in 7-10 years, primarily within the framework of production clusters.
He predicted that by the end of the decade, most of the hydrogen produced in the country would be used in production clusters rather than transported over long distances, according to an ICIS analysis.
RGC is currently working on a plan that will lay out the fundamentals of pumping hydrogen into distribution networks. Next year, the document will be completed.
From 2023, the RGC plans to offer residents of two villages with 50-100 houses the opportunity to use hydrogen gas mixture for heating and domestic purposes as a practical experiment. According to gas workers, the most optimal mixture for the current model of Ukraine’s gas distribution system is a 20% concentration of hydrogen in a mixture with natural gas. Pressure drops as the hydrogen concentration rises, resulting in leaks.
The total investment required to redesign Ukrainian distribution networks for hydrogen, according to Stanislav Kazda, head of the RGC hydrogen project, is estimated to be EUR 13-14 billion, but he is skeptical about mobilizing all of these funds, believing that distribution companies will focus on upgrading only the most critical parts of gas pipelines.
At the same time, he believes Ukraine will be unable to begin delivering hydrogen to Europe via gas pipelines in this decade.
He also stressed that, in order to export hydrogen to Europe, systemic network changes should take place not only in Ukraine, but also in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and even Germany.
