Photo: BGEN
Serbia should start producing hydrogen from renewable energy sources by 2025 and increase production to 5,100 tons by 2035 and 20,600 tons by 2050, according to the draft Hydrogen Strategy, which focuses on green hydrogen. The authors stressed that the world’s leading economies and technology leaders had already begun the hydrogen transition process and added that a faster energy transition is imperative for Serbia. In this process, the participation of science and experts is crucial.
The draft Hydrogen Strategy of the Republic of Serbia was prepared by 18 professors from the University of Belgrade – 15 from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, one from the Faculty of Physical Chemistry and two from the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy – one from the Faculty of Engineering in Kragujevac, two experts from the Institute for Nuclear Sciences Vinča, one from the Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (IHTM) and two consultants.
The Mihajlo Pupin Institute and business association Elektromašinogradnja also participated in the efforts coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The outline of Serbia’s Hydrogen Strategy was presented in February 2021.
Energy development plans are nowadays based on knowledge, not natural resources
Radivoje Mitrović, one of the authors and a professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, said that currently, there is no address where further steps related to the draft would be discussed as the country has a technical government, but that it is certain the hydrogen strategy would be part of the new Energy Strategy.
The authors published a memorandum on Serbia’s hydrogen transition to draw attention to the importance of the topic.
It is crucial not to develop the energy sector only with various types of energy – coal, water, renewables, but to base energy development on knowledge, not natural resources, Mitrović said during the presentation of the draft at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
He said the draft was presented at regional chambers of commerce and industry and added that the academic community bears part of the responsibility for the current situation in the energy sector of Serbia.
The academic community bears part of the responsibility for the current situation in the Serbian energy sector
The imperative of the time is faster energy transformation, with the participation of the professionals and science being key, in Mitrović’s opinion. No expert has an excuse not to get involved, he underscored. Who else but them has the knowledge and experience, Mitrović asked, and added that the participation of professionals in the decision-making process must be institutionalized.
The draft reads that the work on the Hydrogen Strategy is the response of the Serbian academic and economic community to the new global challenge.
According to the document, to catch up with the most developed countries in the world, Serbia should mobilize national resources, the academic community, the educational system, and businesses as soon as possible and point them to the development and use of hydrogen technologies.
Draft sets six goals
The draft defines six specific objectives. The first is legislation; the second is strengthening human resources and capacities for research and development of new technologies, followed by decarbonization of the energy, transport, industry, and agriculture sectors and hydrogen production in new facilities.
The sixth goal is to create conditions by 2025 for the start of hydrogen production in several renewable power plants, to use at least one percent of total electricity production in Serbia by 2035 and at least four percent by 2050 for the production of green hydrogen.
By 2035, hydrogen should be produced in renewable power plants with a total installed capacity of 100 MW (80 MW in wind farms and 20 MW in solar power plants), to use 270 GWh to generate about 5,100 tons of hydrogen per year, the draft reads.
By 2035, hydrogen should be produced in renewable power plants with an installed capacity of 100 MW
By 2050 Serbia should be producing about 20,600 tons of hydrogen from 1,080 GWh of electricity generated in renewable power plants with an overall capacity of 400 MW (320 MW in wind farms and 80 MW in solar power plants).
Zoran Ilić, Assistant Minister of Mining and Energy, Vladimir Popović, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and Miljan Vuksanović from WES CO Power & Energy attended the event. GIZ financially supported the preparation of the draft.
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