The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy is looking for a contractor for extensive and in-depth research on the development and use of hydrogen until 2050. This country is watching other countries in the Baltic Sea region that are developing, among others, offshore wind energy and plan to use energy from the farms to produce hydrogen.
Hydrogen, along with electricity, is seen as a 21st century fuel that will help decarbonise those sectors where electrification may be too expensive or ineffective. No wonder then that Lithuania, like other countries, is interested in exploring the local production potential. For this, extensive analyzes and research are needed. As we read on the website of the Ministry of Energy of Lithuania, the government is inviting tenders to conduct research on the development of the hydrogen sector in Lithuania until 2050. The government is counting on developing guidelines for the development of the hydrogen sector, which will be the basis for the development of a road map for the development of hydrogen technologies. The ministry hopes that the international tender will attract the best and experienced experts. It will be necessary to conduct a review of the situation in the EU in terms of factors influencing the development of the hydrogen sector – here are indicated reduction of CO2 emissions, development of renewable energy sources, implementation of new technologies, development of transport, cooperation between various energy systems and the like. Long-term recommendations and strategies of international organizations for the development of the hydrogen sector in the fields of energy, transport, industry and households should also be analyzed. Experts will have to analyze the potential for the development of hydrogen production and use in Lithuania, covering the hydrogen value chain from production capacity in Lithuania, storage, import and export, promotion of investments in hydrogen development, to the adaptation of infrastructure to hydrogen.
The developed guidelines will be the basis for the preparation of a national road map for the hydrogen sector in Lithuania – the map is to be developed until spring 2022. It is expected that the contract with the study contractor will be signed in the fall of 2021.
“European countries are intensively modernizing their energy infrastructure in order to adapt it to hydrogen. The road map will help to make the best decisions and accelerate the development of the hydrogen sector with high added value in Lithuania”, said Dainius Kreivys, Minister of Energy.
He said that the development of green hydrogen is not only a necessity for a climate-neutral energy industry, but will also open up opportunities for the development of local generation from renewable energy sources.
As part of the implementation of the National Energy Independence Strategy, Lithuania has already started the first pilot project for the production of green hydrogen and announced plans to integrate large renewable energy resources into the Lithuanian energy system, including onshore and offshore wind and solar energy.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy notes that hydrogen strategies have already been developed and published by the largest European countries – Italy, Germany, France and neighboring Poland. These strategies indicate that in the next ten years, hydrogen demand in Europe will exceed supply. Therefore, it will be important to buy and transport hydrogen from the Baltic countries, which are seen as potential hydrogen producers due to favorable conditions for the development of renewable energy, such as wind farms in the Baltic Sea.
