Ukraine could become important part of Europe’s hydrogen supply chain – German MPs

German politicians have said that Ukraine could have “a key role” in Europe’s future supply with hydrogen, reports business daily Handelsblatt. Germany and Europe had an interest in stabilising Ukraine politically and supporting its economic development, said Michael Theurer, deputy head of the pro-business FDP parliamentary group. “Including the country in European hydrogen planning is therefore progressive in terms of climate policy and smart in terms of geopolitics.” It would also help calm the dispute Germany has with other European countries surrounding the Russian-German Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline currently under construction in the Baltic Sea. Ukraine had good conditions for renewable electricity production and its existing natural gas grid could be used to transport hydrogen in the future, providing the country with a continued source of revenue through transit fees. Ukraine could also produce “blue hydrogen” from natural gas by storing the CO2, says the FDP in a motion it plans to table in parliament. In a message on Twitter, economy minister Peter Altmaier said he had already talked about this with the Ukrainian prime minister and there was close cooperation among the two governments. “We have two billion euros for international hydrogen projects. With this, we can help effectively,” wrote Altmaier.

The idea of helping Ukraine enter the hydrogen production market is not fundamentally new, writes Handelsblatt. The German government is pursuing this approach within the framework of an energy partnership with Ukraine. However, corresponding projects are still at a very early stage, said the newspaper.