Two thirds of industrial gas consumers in Slovenia eye hydrogen use

Slovenia’s natural gas transmission system operator Plinovodi and more than 50 industrial companies have signed an agreement on the establishment of the Hydrogen for Users consortium – SloH2U.

The SloH2U consortium represents a systemic response by Slovenian industrial consumers to the need for restructuring the use of hydrogen and renewable gases, according to Plinovodi.

The inclusion of more than two thirds of industrial gas consumers clearly demonstrates that Slovenia is well prepared to meet European decarbonization goals, the company said.

Marjan Eberlinc, the general manager of Plinovodi, underscored that the establishment of the SloH2U consortium is a major Slovenian hydrogen initiative connecting key stakeholders in industry, energy, and government. The aim is to achieve a coordinated, technically feasible, and timely transition to a decarbonized future, he added.

Kumer: We need an industry that is ready to invest, experiment, and collaborate

According to Minister of Environment, Climate, and Energy Bojan Kumer, infrastructure projects alone are not enough for a successful transition to low-carbon energy. “We need an industry that is ready to invest, experiment, and collaborate,” he asserted.

Matija Bitenc, a member of the executive board and deputy general manager of Plinovodi, explained that the platform was established after discussions with the industry about its needs and the technological, financial, geopolitical, and regulatory challenges.

In his words, SloH2U isn’t an ideological declaration, but a concrete foundation for the development of user infrastructure, specific pilot projects, and integration into the European hydrogen ecosystem.

Čas: It is crucial to ensure the transition doesn’t happen too late or that it isn’t too slow

“For the industry, the question is no longer whether, but how to decarbonize processes,” Steklarna Hrastnik CEO Peter Čas stressed.

Collaboration with infrastructure partners like Plinovodi is crucial to ensure the transition doesn’t happen too late or that it isn’t too slow, according to Čas.

In November last year, Slovenia joined the European Union’s Clean Hydrogen Partnership. Six months earlier the country established a consortium of 18 companies, organizations, and municipalities for an ecosystem for hydrogen from low-carbon sources.