Oil, gas and coal are not yet debited from the accounts
For decades now, hydrogen has been called the fuel of the future.. We spoke about this at the International Economic Forum, held in St. Petersburg 2-5 June. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak noted, that the government can approve a concept for the development of hydrogen energy in one to two months. According to his estimates, the share of Russian hydrogen in the world could be 20 percent - about the same, how much Russia currently occupies in the natural gas and oil market. The range of estimates of the global demand for hydrogen to 2050 year ranges from several dozen to almost 700 million tonnes per year.
Novak's assessments were confirmed by the Director General of the International Solar Alliance Ajay Mathur. In the southern regions of Russia, he said, there is a great resource potential for the production of solar energy and "green" hydrogen, which is formed by electrolysis of water, he said.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element on Earth, but under normal conditions it does not occur either in the form of individual molecules, neither in the form of gas. Hydrogen easily reacts with other organic compounds to form, eg, water. Therefore, it can be obtained using the reverse process: from water by separating its molecules by electric current into oxygen and hydrogen, by electrolysis.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the most optimistic scenario for the development of the industry is the growth of the global hydrogen market to 470 million tonnes per year (the market of petroleum products today is 700 million tonnes per year, but hydrogen in 2-3 times more power-consuming). Today the Hydrogen Council (5 large auto concerns) evaluates the hydrogen market in 164 million tonnes per year.
«ES, - writes German wave, – proclaimed at the end 2019 year of the Green Deal program (Green pact), suggesting the transformation of Europe to 2050 year in the first climate-neutral continent of the planet, what, according to the authors of the concept, may cause “to reduce Russia's income” (due to the planned refusal from oil, coal and gas). The Europeans themselves do not prioritize mixing “to naught” energy cooperation with Russia, in front of, talk about, what is it necessary, but with an obvious bias towards renewable energy and hydrogen ".
The finance ministers of the EU countries have already agreed, that they will stop giving money not only for coal, but also for new oil and gas projects. Even natural gas is now discouraged, hydrogen should take its place. In June 2020 of the year, the German government published the National Strategy for Hydrogen Energy, according to which transport will be switched to new fuel, metallurgy and petrochemical industry. To 2023 years for these purposes, Germany will spend 10 billion euros. In general, the transition to hydrogen fuel by 2050 year the EU intends to spend 470 billion euros.
TO 2035 year Airbus is about to release the first commercial aircraft on hydrogen fuel. And the world's first aircraft with an electric motor and a hydrogen fuel cell system was created in Germany back in 2016 year. An experiment on the partial replacement of natural gas with hydrogen in home heating is also starting in Germany.. The same is being done in the UK. The Netherlands and Belgium are going to test a river vessel on hydrogen fuel. And Chancellor Sebastian Kurz promises to turn Austria into a world leader in hydrogen technology.
Plant in Germany for the production of green hydrogen
In summer 2020 of the year, the Ministry of Energy presented the program "Development of hydrogen energy in Russia" at 2020-2024 years, the corresponding roadmap was approved in October. The document indicates, that Gazprom will be engaged in the production and export of hydrogen, which now produces more than 380 thousand tons of hydrogen and 2021 year ready to sell it to third countries. There are already plans to reorient the Nord Stream and the unfinished Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines for hydrogen.
However, oil, it is too early to write off gas and even coal. Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, speaking at SPIEF-2021, warned, that the world could face an acute shortage of oil and gas due to underinvestment in these industries. Against the background of forecasts of a possible deficit, Russia's intention to replace up to 70% supplies of Australian coal to the Chinese markets and, in general, to increase the export of this energy carrier to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, said the head of "Rostec" Sergei Chemizov.
Expected, that supplies of Russian coal eastward to 2024 will grow by 30%. India is also among the buyers of coal. She plans to buy almost all Russian coking coal and anthracite, exported. While Russia is exporting less than a million tons of metallurgical coal to India, but Delhi requested volume up to 40 million tons per year worth about 4,5 billion, writes "Kommersant". So, in any situation with hydrogen fuel, Russia does not cease to be an energy power..
Vladimir Malyshev
