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Hatzimarkakis: Hydrogen production can provide energy self-sufficiency in Greece
17 08 2023
https://energypress.gr/news/hatzimarkakis-i-paragogi-ydrogonoy-mporei-na-parashei-energeiaki-aytarkeia-stin-ellada

If a hydrogen policy is used strategically correctly, the strong Greek government could significantly strengthen its role within Europe, but also internationally.

George Hatzimarkakis, CEO of the European Hydrogen Association "Hydrogen Europe" and former German MEP, emphasizes the above in his statement.

The fundamental objectives of the European Union emphasized by Mr. Hatzimarkakis as part of the European Green Deal have come into force since this summer. Most of the proposed legislation as part of the "Fit for 55" proposals has been the subject of political negotiation and has yet to be formally adopted.

The former MEP points out that “many were surprised by the strong role of hydrogen in the Green Deal. Since 2020, however, there has been a realization that Europe's climate goals cannot be achieved unless the electricity and gas sectors are more closely linked. Hydrogen plays exactly this role. The European hydrogen strategy from summer 2020 was a good basis, but it has now expired and should be completely renewed. Some Member States have already followed this path, for example Germany has adapted its national hydrogen strategy and will also adopt it at government level this summer.

For Greece, this means that the data available to date could be brought together to form a very modern hydrogen strategy, perhaps based on what other EU member states are currently doing. Greece's advantages are obvious : the elections formed a strong government that is capable of action and is very well recognized in the EU, which can guarantee rapid action on the matter of the hydrogen strategy. Quick action is required because pole positions are being awarded right now. In the first place, Greece has a good chance of being far ahead. What are the main benefits?

In addition to a very efficient government, Greece has a strong industrial environment in the field of the hydrogen economy. A total of 15 companies from Greece participate in Hydrogen Europe alone, among them all the major energy companies. For the size of the country, this is very good compared to other Member States.

With the hydrogen industry, Greece is more strongly represented than countries like Portugal, which have comparable conditions. And the numbers are rising, especially since almost all Greek regions have already expressed interest in getting more involved in the hydrogen sector and also in joining the Hydrogen Europe association.

Another important feature of Greece's pioneering role is the Special Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI). Here Greece has been actively involved in the process and the largest project for electrolysis production is in Western Macedonia, with almost 800 million euros. The Greek government has thus expressed its interest in essentially playing a leading role in this basic technology. It is pleasing that the Greek companies that have applied can also afford this industrial process.

Western Macedonia is another important keyword: the transition from lignite to renewable energy sources in this region will only be possible with the help of a storage potential. Seasonal storage is only possible with hydrogen these days. This is exactly where Greece can create a beacon project, especially since the Greek government wants to phase out lignite much earlier than other governments.

The most important factor, however, is the Greek shipping fleet: at almost 60%, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in Europe. The role of the country in the transition of shipping to green technologies is primary. In the meantime, important decisions have been made by the biggest players in the global shipping trade, it is about replacing dirty diesel with green fuels. Meanwhile, methanol, which is formed from hydrogen and green carbon dioxide, has been favored by many actors. Ammonia is also on the table as a possible synthetic fuel, also based on green hydrogen. Hydrogen will thus play a critical role in decarbonising shipping, so Greece could lead the way here by smartly promoting the appropriate conversion of ships.

But it's not just about the fuel for the ships. It is also what ships carry. A large percentage of Greek ships carry oil and chemicals, which together make up almost 40% of the fleet. In the future, these ships could carry ammonia, methanol or even hydrogen in its cold form. The conversion of these ships is also generously supported by the European Union. Greece could indeed take the lead here and assume a global leadership role here.

In the future, there will be three distinct categories of hydrogen countries: those that produce it, those that consume it, and those that distribute it. Greece could produce a lot, but it offers much more as a distribution hub country. Not only because of its strategic location near the Persian Gulf, but also because of its prominent role in the shipping sector. The fact that in the eastern Mediterranean we do not have pipelines connecting North Africa to the European continent, as in the western Mediterranean, leads to a clear consequence: Greece must organize other forms of transportation and transport of hydrogen. Just as gas can be transported through pipelines as well as through LMG, hydrogen can be transported through derivatives such as ammonia and does not necessarily need a pipeline for this.

Hydrogen production provides energy self-sufficiency to the country. If the hydrogen policy is used strategically correctly, the strong Greek government could significantly strengthen its role within Europe, but also internationally. Autonomy creates political room for maneuver that hydrogen could really bring about. This would also leave room for many national issues to be approached very differently."