EU: War Accelerates Hydrogen Plans – White Dragon Comes

ND MEP Manolis Kefalogiannis described “green hydrogen” as “ecological gas” for Europe ‘s energy dependence on natural gas, speaking at an online event on “Western Macedonia – European Hydrogen Node – Energy Crisis” Western Macedonia.

As Mr. Kefalogiannis stated, “the ‘Green Agreement’ was voted on by almost all the wings of the European Parliament” and includes 150 billion euros for the fair transition of Europe to a carbon-free economy.

He stressed that “due to the war in Ukraine, the energy map is changing”, emphasizing that “we must be careful in our next moves”, while expressing his satisfaction for Greece’s plan to develop hydrogen, saying that “we are on the right track and I am a strong supporter and supporter of the initiative of the Greek government “.

For his part, George Hatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogogen Europe and former German MEP, said that “Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is accelerating developments” in terms of hydrogen, noting that with the approval of member states, the EU Immediately implements a plan recently presented in Paris, which envisages “accelerating the evaluations of the major European projects on the IPCEI list, including the White Dragon of western Macedonia, with a total budget of 8 billion euros, to be completed by next June “. The Commission also calls on the European Parliament to proceed immediately with the completion of an institutional framework for the purchase of hydrogen and its enactment so that we can soon have in our hands the first rules for the purchase, distribution, supply, marketing and use of hydrogen, by households and businesses “.

“The wager we have ahead of us”, continued Mr. Hatzimarkakis, is large because “by 2030 we will have to produce 20 million m3 of hydrogen through our infrastructure, which means that we need a little over 300GW of energy for the electrolytes”.

The Governor of Western Macedonia, George Kasapidis, recalled the emblematic works of the Region included in the “White Dragon” project, which are: the production of hydrogen from the sewage sludge of the biological treatment plants of western Macedonia that is currently buried, the “Green building”, with the creation of the first hydrogen factory for its energy needs as well as the energy autonomy with hydrogen of a modern cheese dairy in the area, which is intended to be transformed into a cheese school.

Mr. Kasapidis noted that “some of the above actions could start immediately, but we have a lack in the institutional framework around the use of hydrogen.” He added that “we, for our part, contribute to the creation of the institutional framework, evaluating international practices and the institutional experience of other countries that have gone further than us.”

Melissa Verykios, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Hebio-Hydrogen, stressed that “foreign energy companies have turned their radars to Greece, targeting energy developments wanting to invest in the country” and added that “there should be a broad political consensus on the project. and support for the value chain that its use brings “.

For his part, the director of the Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences of NCSR “Demokritos” Athanasios Stoumpos noted that hydrogen is “the biggest challenge to meet the energy needs of the country and that we have no choice but to respond positively, contributing with our work in accelerating developments “.