EXPORT OF GREEN HYDROGEN FROM UKRAINE TO THE EU IS A LARGE EUROPEAN POLITICAL PROJECT AND A TOOL FOR UKRAINE’S FURTHER EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
30 September 2021
Government of Ukraine
Dmytro Kuleba
Ukraine is ready to become a key supplier of green hydrogen to the European Union and considers the development of hydrogen energy as a large European political project and a tool of Ukraine’s further European integration, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated during his online press briefing on Thursday, 30 September.
“We are not just thinking about today, but also about tomorrow, and the new opportunities for Ukraine to strengthen its security, economy and energy security. Green hydrogen offers such an opportunity for us. Developing hydrogen energy in Ukraine is not only about renewables. It is a large European political project able to significantly shift the balance of powers and alliances on the European continent,” the minister underscored.
Foreign Minister assured he will make every effort to ensure Ukraine does not lose its historic hydrogen chance: “Green hydrogen is a big political project and a serious tool for Ukraine’s further European integration. Exports of green hydrogen can firmly tie together the economies of Ukraine and EU countries.”
Dmytro Kuleba stressed the strategic importance of hydrogen cooperation for strengthening the Ukrainian-German partnership: “With green hydrogen, Ukraine can take the place in partnership with Germany that is currently held by Russia with its gas supplies.”
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister drew attention to the recent rapid development of hydrogen energy in Ukraine: Naftogaz of Ukraine signed a cooperation agreement with the German energy company RWE on hydrogen supply to Germany; four gas transportation operators from Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic presented a joint “Central European Hydrogen Corridor” initiative; and the Ukrainian Hydrogen Association brought the first hydrogen vehicles to Ukraine.
“I am very pleased to see this historic progress which shows that Ukraine is forward-thinking. We develop technologies that will shape energy cooperation in the future. Hydrogen is the technology of tomorrow, and we should work on it already today,” the minister concluded.