Hydrogen, CCS development concerns expressed by officials

The country’s planned regulatory framework and financial support for development of the hydrogen sector and a CCS supply chain lack realism and flexibility, market players have protested.

These complaints were directed towards the Greek government and the European Commission as a Brussels task force and top-ranked energy ministry officials continue talks on pending issues ahead of Greece’s application for a fourth installment of Recovery and Resilience Facility funds.

Giorgos Alexopoulos, deputy CEO at Helleniq Energy, formerly named Hellenic Petroleum, told an annual RRF conference that EU policy on the regulatory framework for hydrogen development is flawed, making production of hydrogen almost impossible beyond 2030.

He attributed this concern to a green hydrogen regulation requiring RES participation in national grids to be at a level of over 90 percent.

“This requirement places in doubt green hydrogen production almost anywhere in Europe, except for the Nordic countries,” Alexopoulos supported, calling on the European Commission to show more flexibility on the matter, a stance that was backed by Johannes Luebking, head of the visiting RRF task force.

Failure to resolve the issue will delay the hydrogen sector’s development and its penetration of natural gas networks, Alexopoulos warned.

Greece has committed to having prepared a regulatory framework for hydrogen by June, one of the requirements set if the country Greece is to secure 795 million euros in financial support for energy projects through REPowerEU, bolstering the preceding RRF initiative.

Swifter H2 framework action needed to secure EU funds

Procedures to establish a regulatory framework on hydrogen, biomethane and CCS need to be accelerated, otherwise the country risks missing out on crucial EU support funds promoting these sectors through the Energy Transition Fund, market sources have stressed. The regulatory framework needs to be finalized by a June 30 deadline.

Officials at RAAEY, the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water, and the energy ministry are currently engaged in talks with market players interested in developing hydrogen-related projects but needing clarity.

The emergence of the hydrogen market as a new market poses regulatory and operational questions. It is not yet clear how these responsibilities will be distributed.

Though final decisions have yet to be taken, the energy ministry appears inclined to appoint RAAEY as the hydrogen sector’s regulatory authority and gas grid operator DESFA as its operator, as the sector will use networks already managed by this operator, energypress sources have informed.

As for distribution, the ministry appears likely to take the course taken in other European markets, where the role of distribution network operator is performed by companies that make the investments, resulting in multiple small distribution systems.

NECP’s hydrogen output goal slashed to realistic level

A reduced hydrogen production target included in Greece’s revised National Energy and Climate Plan has been accepted by the European Commission without any protest in its appraisal of the plan.

Greek authorities have significantly cut the country’s new hydrogen output target for 2030 to 300 MW from two previous goals, a 1.7-GW target included in an NECP draft last summer, and a preceding target of 1.2 GW.

According to energypress sources, the latest adjustment was made prior to the draft’s delivery to Brussels in early November as authorities recognized that the 1.7-GW target was excessive and unrealistic both for the Greek market and the hydrogen sector’s current capabilities.

Sources explained that the older 1.2-GW target was based on a plan entailing the injection of hydrogen production into the natural gas network, a plan which, following further analysis that took into account current data and conditions, proved extremely costly for consumers.

Besides, the main purpose of hydrogen usage, the sources added, is to help decarbonize certain sectors of the economy such as transport and industry, sectors to which other decarbonization solutions, primarily electrification, cannot be applied as they turn out to be high-cost solutions.

HAEE’s roundup of COP28 climate conference in Dubai

 

HAEE proudly and actively participated in #COP28 by powering up the future at Greece’s first-ever Pavilion, organizing the Side Event “Outlook of the Greek Energy Sector towards 2030”. We would like to thank our esteemed panel speakers, visionary leaders and guests who graced us with their presence or watched online and shared their insights on Greece’s accelerated transition away from fossil fuels, analyzed the latest reoriented policies, practices and investment priorities to deliver outcomes, protecting people, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

Let us share a roundup of what we witnessed on the ground at COP28:

On 13/12/2023, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, after intense overnight negotiations on whether the outcome would include a call to “phase down” or “phase out” fossil fuels, almost 200 nations reached an Agreement, to transition away from fossil fuels, while the negotiators set their commitments to triple renewables capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, so as to achieve net zero by 2050.

COP28 adopted a decision on the outcome of the first global stocktake, which is a two-year process to assess progress on mitigation, adaptation and climate finance, and design the way forward. The parties recognised that, by 2030, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have to be reduced by 43% below 1990 levels to restrict global warming to 1.5 °C, and committed to accelerating action in the current decade.

The Draft decision of COP28 – CMA.5 “Outcome of the first global stocktake” is now available here

An Agreement on the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund was also decided. The fund will initially be hosted by the World Bank and It has received over US$700 million in pledges, with Germany and the United Arab Emirates offering US$100 million each .

The involved parties further adopted a framework adaptation, accompanied with 2030 targets for all parties to: conduct impact, vulnerability and risk assessments; adopt and implement adaptation plans and policy instruments; and set up monitoring, evaluation and learning systems for their national adaptation efforts.

After two weeks of intense discussions, the Deal that was reached in Dubai sends a strong statement to investors and decision-makers alike about the global community’s intention to move away from fossil fuels, something scientists say is the best chance to prevent a global warming disaster.

Let’s keep pushing boundaries and working towards a sustainable and brighter future!

Key uptakes of HAEE’s Side Event, at COP28

Let’s now deep dive into a micro-level and the insightful discussion we enjoyed on the 5th of December under the topic “Outlook of the Greek Energy Sector towards 2030” at HAEE’s Side Event that took place in the Greek Pavilion. The dynamic dialogue between esteemed speakers and visionary leaders was focused on the global, European, and Greek energy landscapes, the energy industry innovation, the impacts of Energy Transition and the ways of communicating the energy transition in a new climate narrative.

As Ms. Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director General for Energy, European Commission, mentioned, the international community has prioritized the exponential deployment of renewables and energy efficiency improvements by 2030 to meet the collective goal of the Paris Agreement to keep warming well below 2°C and phase down or even phase out fossil fuels by mid-century. To that end, and after the initiation of the EU, 123 countries have signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, underlying the close link between the climate and energy objectives. As we step into the future, Greece has already re-introduced its goals and position to achieve or event to overcome EU’s climate obligations and emission target reductions, aiming to decarbonize its economy and transform itself into an energy hub in Southeastern Europe and the Western Balkans.

In the wake of the Russo-Ukrainian war and as the EU is decoupling from Russia’s energy supply, Greece is playing a critical role in securing Europe’s energy resilience through the Southern Gas Corridor, the TAP pipeline and other infrastructure projects such as the expansion of the Revithousa Terminal, the completion of the IGB pipeline and the commissioning of Alexandroupolis FSRU.

On top of that, as H.E. Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State, highlighted the overhaul of Alexandroupolis FSRU into a Western Balkans’, regional, emblematic Project. Greece’s connectivity moves in two strategic directions; one is to the Western Balkans, by helping the EU-aspiring countries to reduce their dependence on Russian energy and to the Mediterranean through the US, Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt cooperation, to build a regional connection on gas, electricity through the interconnectors or even green hydrogen, aiming to build a future energy system which is not vulnerable to one supplier, which is economically competitive but also meet the climate targets.

Ms. Alexandra Sdoukou, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Hellenic Republic confirmed that over the last years, Greece has transitioned into an exporting country of gas—mainly from the US— new interconnections are in progress, and RES have the potential to dominate the future energy mix, increasing the attractiveness of the Greek energy sector to potential investors, shaping sustainable business strategies and fostering a resilient future for the country.

Mr. Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman, Solarimpulse Foundation pointed out that the momentum to change the narrative of the economies’ and energy system’s decarbonization is now. There is a climate emergency, but also an economic emergency to switch to renewable energy and implement the necessary policy measures to save natural resources. The goal of authorities, academics, policy-makers and the relevant stakeholders has not to be the decarbonization with the sacrifice of the future generation, but to modernize the world, by making it efficient and profitable for the current generation. In that case, decarbonization will be the result of modernization.

Mr. Roman Kramarchuk, Head of Future Energy Analytics, S&P Global – Commodity Insights, commented that S&P energy markets’ “Green Rule Scenario” involves cooperation, cross-country support, and sharing of technologies as prerequisites, to achieve three times renewable. Market mechanisms such as PPA or corporate voluntary carbon markets are driving the change since corporate buyers are now willing to be able to demonstrate that they can operate sustainably and become policy-makers of their own right, supported by governments. This is a paradigm of multiple actors initiating for a common goal, the goal of achieving net-zero.

The political will exists, the technology exists, and the market mechanisms are ready to be implemented. Our focus should be on informing, motivating, engaging people and communities toward the energy transition.

HAEE is looking forward to next year’s event, COP29 which will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024 with the hope of a much more optimistic climate outlook!

Presenting our Chart of the Month Vol. 20, in the Side Event organized by the HAEE team and the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy at the Greek Pavillion in COP28, is the epitome of ending the year on a high note! This special edition gives a more detailed outlook of the Greek energy market towards 2030 and 2050 through various topics encircling energy.

Based on the revised Greek NECP, key milestones and targets for the energy transition of the Greek energy market are presented across specific subtopics such as the future RES and energy storage developments, the Natural Gas landscape in Greece, the future outlook of the interconnections, as well as opportunities in innovative technologies like CCUS and Hydrogen production.

Special focus is placed on important topics that form the pillars of Greece’s strategy for the energy transition. One such topic is the development of offshore wind parks in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The first such pilot project was recently announced in Alexandroupolis with capacity of 600 MW. Additionally, in Alexandroupolis, another interesting project, the FSRU terminal, is expected to become operational in 2024.

Finally, we explore the investment landscape of Greece which is thriving with a recently upgraded investment grade and forecasts of surpassing EU growth rates. Significant funding inflows via RRF and REPowerEU promise a bright future for the sector. Favorable conditions for both traditional and emerging renewable energy technologies, alongside pivotal infrastructure developments, position Greece as a key player in Europe‘s energy independence, with the overall ambition of transforming Greece into an energy hub for Europe.

National hydrogen strategy within first half of 2024

The energy ministry is set to begin shaping a national strategy on hydrogen whose fundamentals it plans to announce in the first half of 2024, energypress sources have informed.

The hydrogen strategy will represent part of a wider institutional framework and initiatives promoting decarbonization and renewable gases once a corresponding EU directive and regulation have been established and adopted, the sources noted.

Aristotelis Aivaliotis, the energy ministry’s General Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources, has underlined that the ministry aims to deliver results on the strategy within the first half of next year.

Experts have noted the process will be quite complex and will require plenty of effort and coordination for results.

Steps needed by the ministry will include legislative revisions while, at the same time an updated National Energy and Climate Plan is finalized. An NECP proposal has been submitted to the European Commission and is currently being examined.

It should be pointed out that the European Commission has proposed the establishment of an independent European regulatory authority that would manage hydrogen infrastructure.

Wider interest for Greece-to-Germany hydrogen pipeline

Greek gas grid operator DESFA and operators in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are interested in developing a hydrogen pipeline running from Greece to Germany via these countries and intend to sign a Memorandum of Agreement early in the new year, energypress sources have informed.

Though the initial idea emerged in Germany and has been encouraged by the German system operator, it is also compatible with broader plans and initiatives undertaken by DESFA, particularly its staging of a market test for an upgrade of Greece’s national gas transmission system that would also serve future hydrogen transmission needs.

The prospect of a vertical hydrogen corridor has been embraced by all Balkan countries, as highlighted by the results of a work group staged in September and those of ensuing meetings.

The Greek gas grid operator is in constant communication with neighboring operators and operators of the wider European region as it is determined to take on an active role in regional developments, especially ones concerning the construction of a hydrogen network serving the continent, sources noted.

Germany, it is worth noting, is set to become the largest – by far – hydrogen import market in Europe in the coming decades, with plans to buy around 70 percent of the hydrogen needed to meet its targets.

Brussels fully approves Greek list of REPowerEU projects

The European Commission has approved all energy projects included on a new list prepared by the energy ministry and submitted to Brussels for support through a revised REPowerEU program.

Brussels’ approval comes as a positive first step, but plenty of work lies ahead if the projects included on the REPowerEU list are to be actualized.

The REPowerEU program, proposed by the European Commission in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, aims to end the EU’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels before 2030.

Based on past experience, the energy ministry knows well how challenging it will be to coordinate various agencies in the public and private sectors so that a Resilience and Recovery Fund deadline, set for December 31, 2026, is met. The revised RePowerEU section, which includes projects budgeted at 795 million euros, is part of Greece’s RRF.

The available period of just over three years may seem like plenty of time, but given the complexity of the projects, it is not.

Greece’s 795 million-euro RePowerEU list is made up of 560 million euros for energy saving projects, 75 million euros for hydrogen and biomethane projects, 75 million euros for a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) supply chain, and 85 million euros for energy storage systems.

TIF-HELEXPO: Renewable Energy Tech exhibition on renewables, storage, green and smart energy in Thessaloniki March 14-16, 2024

Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF)-HELEXPO’s unique – for exhibition standards in Europe and beyond – venture to expand into the promising green economy field is continuing and being enriched.

The 2nd Forward Green Circular Economy International Exhibition will be held at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center March 14 to 16, 2024, while, at the same time, the 1st Renewable Energy Tech, a large-scale, European-standard trade fair exclusively focused on the green and smart energy market, will take place at a separate exhibition space.

As noted in a relevant announcement, Renewable Energy Tech will be staged in collaboration with energypress.gr, the largest news and information portal on energy matters, which also organizes the most important annual conferences on energy, covering all its sub-sectors.

This new exhibition will give the opportunity to dozens of companies, active in Greece and southeast European countries – in the fields of renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen and “green” gases, electromobility, energy saving, smart management applications and, overall, in the sectors of the green energy economy – to exhibit their products and services and also come into contact with potential partners or competitors.

Renewable Energy Tech, within its framework, will host a major international conference on renewable energy, storage and green technologies, while the exhibition facilities will include specially designed areas for B2B meetings.

The Forward Green and Renewable Energy Tech events promise to serve as the region’s most dynamic exhibition duo for new energy production and consumption standards, as well as for technologies of the future, dramatically changing the economy and everyday life of modern societies.

For further information:

Panagiotis Hatziioannou pc@helexpo.gr

Katerina Benaki kb@helexpo.gr

 

Germany pursuing hydrogen-based generation as sun, wind substitute

Germany is pursuing the ambition to become a global frontrunner in green hydrogen technology, a strategic endeavor rooted in the belief that harnessing fuel generated from renewable energy sources can play a pivotal role in mitigating worldwide carbon emissions. Furthermore, this endeavor is anticipated to fortify Europe’s biggest economy.

In this context, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) announced that it has agreed with the European Commission on a strategy for German hydrogen power plants.

The German government aims to have its electricity supply almost entirely based on renewable energy sources – mainly solar and wind – by 2035.

Nonetheless, during periods known as “dunkelflaute,” characterized by the absence of wind and sunlight required for energy production, power plants must be equipped to generate electricity using renewable fuels like hydrogen in order to meet demand.

Berlin’s agreement with the European Commission includes planned tenders for 8.8 GW of new hydrogen power plants and up to 15 GW of power plants to be switched to hydrogen operation by 2035.

 

DESFA calls for comprehensive hydrogen market plan

Gas grid operator DESFA has underlined the need for a clearer strategy concerning the development of a comprehensive hydrogen and renewable gas market with specific policy initiatives, in comments forwarded to the energy ministry as part of a wider effort for revisions to the National Energy and Climate Plan, energypress sources have informed.

DESFA officials, responding to questions on the matter, highlighted the crucial role to be played by hydrogen in the energy transition.

The operator’s line of thinking is not merely limited to the utilization of excess energy resulting from renewables, but stretches out further and includes a whole value chain that would enable the utilization of hydrogen in all its possible applications.

Such a prospect, it was pointed out to energypress, requires a more holistic approach at a political level that would include political actions and measures enabling the development of the hydrogen sector, as opposed to the current approach, focusing on excess electrical energy.

It is worth noting that prospective hydrogen production – given announcements made and the anticipated expansion of the country’s electricity system – will far exceed the needs of the country itself, making necessary infrastructure enabling exports to other markets.

DESFA’s approach, therefore, not only concerns the use of hydrogen in certain sectors as a replacement for natural gas in the context of the decarbonization process.

The gas grid operator is awaiting further clarification from the ministry so that it can draw up its infrastructure development plan taking into account renewable gas and hydrogen as a factor.

 

Hellenic Hydrogen presents plan for hydrogen unit in north

Hellenic Hydrogen, a joint venture involving Motor Oil and power utility PPC, has presented its North-1 hydrogen-producing facility plan, detailing the benefits and advantages of its development at PPC’s old Amyntaio coal-fired power station in northern Greece’s Western Macedonia region, as well as prerequisites that need to be met for the project’s development.

The Hellenic Hydrogen project’s plan was presented by Alexandros Soumelidis, PPC’s Director of New Production Activities, at the 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum, an energypress event staged last Friday.

According to Soumelidis, the joint venture’s investment is budgeted at 130 million euros, while the plan entails developing a facility to offer water electrolysis capacity of 100 MW, with potential for a boost to 200 MW.

The facility is planned to produce annual hydrogen amounts of 12,600 tons, enough to cover the needs of the country’s first off-takers.

Hellenic Hydrogen aims to develop large-scale hydrogen projects that could offer sizeable quantities of renewable gas at competitive prices, a crucial factor to attract industrial consumers.

As part of its plan, the joint venture is considering the development of two further hydrogen-producing facilities, which, according to sources, would be located at Megalopoli, in the Peloponnese, and in the wider area of Motor Oil’s Corinth refinery, west of Athens.

 

 

Watch live coverage of the 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum by Energypress

The 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum, organized by Energypress, takes place on Friday, June 23rd, at the Wyndham Grand Athens Hotel.
The Forum includes 46 top-level speakers and moderators and will cover every aspect of the growing hydrogen and renewable gases market in Greece and in the EU.
Current Energy and Environment Minister, Pantelis Kapros, will open the conference with his keynote speech.
You can see the Forum’s program here.
You can watch the Forum live in English here.

‘South Kavala’ UGS fails to make PCI shortlist as hydrogen facility

TAIPED, Greece’s privatization fund, has failed to have reinstated, on the EU’s project-supporting PCI list, “South Kavala”, an almost depleted natural gas field in the Aegean Sea’s north planned to be transformed into an underground natural gas storage facility (UGS) equipped, with additional features, as a hydrogen storage unit.

The “South Kavala” UGS failed to make a shortlist of hydrogen-related projects to be considered for inclusion on an updated 6th edition of the PCI list.

According to sources, all projects that had not been originally designed for hydrogen-related purposes were disqualified from the PCI shortlist.

The “South Kavala” UGS project’s original plan envisioned its development as a natural gas storage facility before local authorities decided to revise the plan so that the unit could be equipped to also store hydrogen.

The project’s PCI-list exclusion means that gas grid operator DESFA’s bid for inclusion, onto the same list, of a connecting 540-km hydrogen pipeline will also prove fruitless. This pipeline was planned to run from Nea Mesimvria, west of Thessaloniki, to the “South Kavala” UGS.

 

46 leading speakers at 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum in Athens, June 23

The 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum, an energypress event constituting Greece’s only forum comprehensively covering hydrogen and green gas issues, is scheduled to take place on June 23 at the Wyndham Grand Athens hotel. 

The forum, whose agenda includes 46 leading speakers and coordinators, will be launched by the caretaker government’s energy minister Pantelis Kapros, who served as president of a National Committee on hydrogen.   

Speakers will include Alexandra Sdoukou, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment; Yannis Xifaras, Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport; Maria Spyraki and Nikos Papandreou, both Members of the European Parliament; George Hatziimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe; Maria Georgiadou, Senior Expert European Commission DG Research & Innovation; Melissa Verykios, president at Clean Hydrogen Partnership; Andreas Poullikkas, President of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority; Konstantinos Papaloukas, Coordinator of the National Hydrogen Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Nikolaos Lyberopoulos, Project Officer at Clean Hydrogen Partnership; Sotiris Karellas, Professor at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and the energy ministry’s technical adviser on biomethane; Dimitris Lyridis, Professor of Naval Engineering, NTUA – Director of the Marine Transport Laboratory; Antonis Metaxas, Assoc. Professor of EU Law, University of Athens; Manos Stamatakis, Researcher at the Institute of Geoenergy; Alexandros Yfantis, President of the Hellenic Association of Biogas Producers; Nikos Davos, from the Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia (CLuBE); and Nektaria Karakatsani, energy ministry adviser.

The business community is being represented, amongst others, by: Maria-Rita Gali, CEO of DESFA; Konstantinos Xifaras, CEO of DEPA; Dimitris Triantafylopoulos, CEO of Hellenic Hydrogen; Vassilis Grigoriou, President and CEO of Advent Technologies; Vassilis Galanis, from CENERGY HOLDINGS; Alexandros Soumelidis, Director of New Generation Activities, PPC; Ioannis Stefanou, Partner, Head of Energy Sector, Grant Thornton Greece; Konstantinos Levogiannis, Head of EU Affairs of NEL Hydrogen; Konstantinos Hatzifotis, Head of European Affairs of Motor-Oil Group; Kyriaki Karakitsou from DEPA Commercial; Karolos Antonios Vidalis, Hydrogen Director at Centrica British Gas Zero UK; Ariadni Psimara from ATTICA GROUP; and Alexandros Lagakos, General Manager of Blue Grid Gas & Power.

Persons interested in attending the event may register through the forum website (https://www.hydrogenforum.gr/) until today. Places are now limited.  However, all proceedings will be broadcast live, in Greek and English, through energypress.gr and social media.

 

 

46 leading speakers at 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum in Athens, June 23

A total of 46 leading speakers will participate at the upcoming 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum, organized by energypress, on June 23 at the Wyndham Grand Athens hotel.

The event will be launched by the caretaker government’s energy minister Pantelis Kapros.

Speakers will include Alexandra Sdoukou, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment; Yannis Xifaras, Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport; Maria Spyraki and Nikos Papandreou, both Members of the European Parliament; George Hatziimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe; Maria Georgiadou, Senior Expert European Commission DG Research & Innovation; Andreas Poullikkas, President of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority; Konstantinos Papaloukas, Coordinator of the National Hydrogen Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Nikolaos Lyberopoulos, Project Officer στο Clean Hydrogen Partnership; Sotiris Karellas, Professor at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and the energy ministry’s technical adviser on biomethane; Dimitris Lyridis, Professor of Naval Engineering, NTUA – Director of the Marine Transport Laboratory; Antonis Metaxas, Assoc. Professor of EU Law, University of Athens; Manos Stamatakis, Researcher at the Institute of Geoenergy; Alexandros Yfantis, President of the Hellenic Association of Biogas Producers; Nikos Davos, from the Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia (CLuBE); and Nektaria Karakatsani, energy ministry adviser.

The business community is being represented, amongst others, by: Maria-Rita Gali, CEO of DESFA; Konstantinos Xifaras, CEO of DEPA; Dimitris Triantafylopoulos, CEO of Hellenic Hydrogen; Vassilis Grigoriou, President and CEO of Advent Technologies; Vassilis Galanis, from CENERGY HOLDINGS; Alexandros Soumelidis, Director of New Generation Activities, PPC; Ioannis Stefanou, Partner, Head of Energy Sector, Grant Thornton Greece; Konstantinos Levogiannis, Head of EU Affairs of NEL Hydrogen; Konstantinos Hatzifotis, Head of European Affairs of Motor-Oil Group; Kyriaki Karakitsou from DEPA Commercial; Karolos Antonios Vidalis, Hydrogen Director at Centrica British Gas Zero UK; Ariadni Psimara from ATTICA GROUP; and Alexandros Lagakos, General Manager of Blue Grid Gas & Power.

Persons interested in attending the event may register through the forum website (https://www.hydrogenforum.gr/) until Monday.

Places are now limited. However, all proceedings will be broadcast live, in Greek and English, through energypress.gr and social media.

 

Energy minister to open 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum, June 23

The caretaker government’s energy minister Pantelis Kapros will launch the 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum, organized by energypress, on June 23 at the Wyndham Grand Athens hotel.

Preparations for the event have entered the final stage. A heightened level of interest expressed by the business and academic community, as well as industry players in Greece and Europe, is already establishing the forum as a benchmark for the industry.

As is the case with all other Forums organized by energypress, the Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum will essentially serve as a working conference rather than a “celebratory” event. This means that a group of politicians from Greece and abroad, sector officials, scientists, academics, as well as representatives of institutions and businesses will seek to delve deep into all issues arising in connection with the present and future of Hydrogen and Green Gases, a crucial sector.

Among the speakers are: Alexandra Sdoukou, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment; Yannis Xifaras, Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport; Nikos Papandreou, Member of the European Parliament; George Hatziimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe; Maria Georgiadou, Senior Expert European Commission DG Research & Innovation; George Kasapidis, Regional Governor of Western Macedonia; Melissa Verykios, President of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership; Andreas Poullikkas, President of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority; Konstantinos Papaloukas, Coordinator of the National Hydrogen Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Dimitris Lyridis, Professor of Naval Engineering, NTUA – Director of the Marine Transport Laboratory; Manos Stamatakis, Researcher at the Institute of Geoenergy; Alexandros Yfantis, President of the Hellenic Association of Biogas Producers; Nikos Davos, from the Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia (CLuBE).

The business community is being represented, amongst others, by: Maria-Rita Gali, CEO of DESFA; Konstantinos Xifaras, CEO of DEPA; Dimitris Triantafylopoulos, CEO of Hellenic Hydrogen; Vassilis Grigoriou, President and CEO of Advent Technologies; Vassilis Galanis, from CENERGY HOLDINGS; Alexandros Soumelidis, Director of New Generation Activities, PPC; Ioannis Stefanou, Partner, Head of Energy Sector, Grant Thornton Greece; Konstantinos Levogiannis, Head of EU Affairs of NEL Hydrogen; Konstantinos Hatzifotis, Head of European Affairs of Motor-Oil Group; Kyriaki Karakitsou from DEPA Commercial; Ariadni Psimara from ATTICA GROUP; and Alexandros Lagakos, General Manager of Blue Grid Gas & Power.

Forum’s main themes:

– European policies for the promotion of Hydrogen and Renewable Gases

– Public and private financial instruments to support hydrogen, biomethane and renewable gas research and investment

– Greece: National Strategy, opportunities, prospects and obstacles

– Hydrogen and biomethane readiness – networks

– Hydropower – Transport

– Challenges in Shipping for Decarbonisation and the Green Transition – The Role of Hydrogen and Renewable Gases

– Hydrogen as a pathway for further penetration of RES overcoming interconnection adequacy problems

– Applications in Industry – Key investment projects in Greece (Presentations)

For further information and the event’s sponsorship program contact: Maria Delli, 2108217446, mariadelli@energypress.gr

 

 

 

Brussels backs TAIPED tender relaunch for South Kavala UGS

The European Commission has endorsed Greek privatization fund TAIPED’s intention to relaunch a failed tender for the development of “South Kavala”, an almost depleted natural gas field in the Aegean Sea’s north, as an underground natural gas storage facility (UGS) that would, under the new plan, also be equipped to store hydrogen.

Brussels’ decision on the South Kavala UGS has been included in a just-published European Commission post-program surveillance report covering the state of the Greek economy and its developments.

TAIPED declared that the South Kavala UGS had ended without a result in March. At the time, the privatization fund also noted it would assess international gas market conditions, taking into account circumstances created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the European Commission’s REPowerEU decisions, to decide on whether it would relaunch the South Kavala UGS tender in the short term.

As previously reported by energypress, TAIPED has submitted an application to Brussels to have the UGS included on the European Commission’s project-supporting PCI list, as a facility also equipped to store hydrogen.

DESFA assessing action needed for hydrogen-ready network

Gas grid operator DESFA is conducting a technical study examining interventions that will be needed to the country’s grid so that it may facilitate hydrogen’s entry into the energy mix. The operator aims to have completed and submitted this study to RAAEY, the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water, by the end of the year, energypress sources informed.

The operator’s study is planned to include the cost of all actions needed for a hydrogen-ready grid, a substantiated proposal specifying an optimal hydrogen proportion for the country’s gas network, as well as feasibility studies on the connection, to the network, of individual hydrogen-related pilot projects.

These studies, DESFA anticipates, will also get authorities working on a hydrogen-related regulatory framework, currently non-existent.

A committee established to prepare a national strategy for hydrogen completed its task and delivered its findings to the energy ministry in 2021.

However, revisions made to the National Energy and Climate Plan, resulting in more ambitious targets, may prompt the energy ministry to seek an updated national strategy on hydrogen.

DESFA has already prepared a study assessing the degree of hydrogen mixing with natural gas over two stages, as proportions of 5 and 10 percent, and what these proportions would entail in terms of investments needed, Panagiotis Panousos, Energy Transition Manager at DESFA, told the recent RENPOWER conference.

 

KLM joins forces with AeroDelft student team for hydrogen aircraft

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has joined forces with the AeroDelft student team to work on Project Phoenix, an initiative involving the development of hydrogen-powered aircraft, KLF has announced in a statement.

The development and testing of such an aircraft will present important findings on how this fuel may be applied in aviation, including the design of liquid hydrogen tanks and critical safety features.

The Project Phoenix initiative includes the creation of a drone, the Phoenix-Prototype, which will serve as a precursor to the development of the first manned liquid hydrogen-electric aircraft, the Phoenix Full-Scale, KLF noted in the statement.

The AeroDelft team has built the chassis for the Phoenix Full-Scale aircraft and is testing the hydrogen systems inside it, KLF informed, adding it aims to fly its manned aircraft in 2024, using hydrogen gas, followed by liquid hydrogen in 2025.

Mr. Barry ter Voert, CXO & EVP of Business Development at KLM, noted:

“KLM wants to play a leading role in aviation innovation and is looking for opportunities to accelerate developments. The minds and solutions of the younger generation are essential to enable us to think outside the box. AeroDelft’s enthusiasm and hard work are particularly helpful in this regard.”

Mr Wouter van der Linden, Team Leader of AeroDelft, noted:

“We are so pleased to be working with KLM on the future of aviation. It is very rewarding for us to have the support of such a major industry player. Together we will work hard to implement new, innovative technologies and train the engineers of the future.”

1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum, an energypress event, June 23

The widespread promotion of Renewable Gas and especially green Hydrogen by the European Union, which has taken the form of legislative and regulatory decisions, while also resulting in funding tools, converges with the sector’s business activity and rapid technological developments.

Greece, at present, is in the process of developing a national strategy for Hydrogen, while many scientific and business initiatives aspire to play a role in the future, which, in some cases, is already here.

Within this context, the energypress team is organizing the 1st Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum on June 23, 2023, at the Wyndham Grand Athens hotel, an event aiming to become the annual benchmark for the industry.

As is the case with all other Forums organized by energypress, the Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum will essentially serve as a working conference rather than a “celebratory” event. This means that a group of politicians from Greece and abroad, sector officials, scientists, academics, as well as representatives of institutions and businesses will seek to delve deep into all issues arising in connection with the present and future of Hydrogen and Green Gases, a crucial sector.

Forum’s main themes:

  • EU policies and decisions
  • Adjustment initiatives in Greece
  • Hydrogen readiness – Networks
  • Hydrogen mobility – Transportation
  • Industry – Flagship investment plans in Greece
  • Technological developments and challenges

The forum will take place with in-person speakers (online participation is also possible) and conference participants. 

For further information and the event’s sponsorship program contact: Maria Delli, 2108217446, mariadelli@energypress.gr

 

IPCEI support sought by DESFA, Bulgartransgaz for hydrogen projects

Greek gas grid operator DESFA and its Bulgarian counterpart Bulgartransgaz, which have strengthened ties in recent years, aim to secure development support for two common hydrogen-related projects via IPCEI (Import Projects of Common European Interest) status, which, if obtained, would pave the way for EU funds stemming from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

One of the two projects concerns an upgrade of existing gas infrastructure belonging to the two operators so that – in the future, when the technology is ready – they may also transmit renewable gas, in other words, hydrogen made using renewable energy or biomethane produced from organic waste such as human or animal sewage or food.

The second of the two DESFA-Bulgartransgaz projects eyeing CEF funding support entails developing a brand new main system of pipelines, exclusively for renewable gas transmission, between Greece and Bulgaria.

This project would serve as a key decarbonization tool for the two countries, as well as the wider region, aiding climate-neutrality efforts by incorporating hydrogen into the energy mix.

DESFA development of west Macedonia pipeline set to start

Gas grid operator DESFA is set to begin its development of a gas pipeline in northern Greece’s west Macedonia region next month, an official ceremony for the start of work slated for end of February or early March, energypress sources have informed.

According to the operator’s ten-year development plan covering 2022 to 2031, the gas pipeline, a project budgeted at 147 million euros, is scheduled to be completed in autumn, 2026.

The gas pipeline project’s financing will be covered by DESFA capital as well as a syndicated 505 million-euro bond loan agreement reached by the operator with the country’s four main banks for its ten-year development plan from 2021 to 2030.

The pipeline will cover a total distance of 147 kilometers, running from Trikala in the Imathia region to Ptolemaida. It will branch off at four points for distribution to the region’s urban centers, namely Edessa, Skydra, Naoussa, Veria, Florina Amynteo, Ptolemaida and Kozani, and will be equipped for a prospective extension to the Kastoria area.

This pipeline, it is worth noting, will be totally compatible to carry and transport hydrogen, making it Greece’s first and one of Europe’s few pipelines fully supporting transportation of renewable gases.

It will make up part of the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB), a plan shaped by European operators and companies for the development of a European pipeline network hosting hydrogen. Their objective is to have developed a network covering a total distance of 40,000 kilometers by 2040.

 

Framework established for energy cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Greece and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement for the installation of a subsea data cable that will connect Europe with Asia and also discussed the prospect of linking their power grids to supply Europe with lower-cost green energy.

A memorandum of understanding for cooperation related to the energy sector was signed during an official visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud with his delegation.

The MoU was signed by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, and Nikos Dendias, Greece’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

It establishes a framework for cooperation between the two countries in fields including renewable energy, electrical interconnection, exporting electricity to Greece and Europe, clean hydrogen and its transfer to Europe, energy efficiency, and the oil, gas and petrochemical industry.

RAE needs to decide on hydrogen market framework

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, working on a framework for a domestic hydrogen market, needs to decide if market players or operators will have a greater say in market operations.

The level of investment interest expressed by market players will be pivotal in the model to be chosen by RAE. If investor level of interest is high, the authority will give market players the ability to take initiatives. If not, a more regulated solution will be applied, Giorgos Loizos, head of RAE’s Units, Electricity Networks and New Technologies, told a gas grid operator DESFA conference titled “Building the Hydrogen Value Chain in Greece”.

Three different regulatory systems could be applied. One would entail an unbundling regulation system involving independent managers of “Power-2-Gas” units for a model in accordance with that of renewable energy sources.

Another model, would involve TSOs/DSOs as Kick-Starters, which would give priority to operators and restrict unbundling practices.

A third system, the Virtual P2G Plant approach, would involve a combination of the above.

 

 

DEDA: Framework ‘pending’ for biomethane, hydrogen

Procedures leading to the establishment of legal and regulatory frameworks needed for commercial utilization of biomethane and hydrogen need to be accelerated by the government and the regulatory authority, Marios Tsakas, chief executive of gas distributor DEDA, has stressed in an interview with energypress.

Greece, from a technical and technological point of view, is ready to move ahead in the biomethane and hydrogen domains, the DEDA official pointed out.

Two pilot projects carried out by the company could develop into twenty mass-production projects if the pending legal and regulatory frameworks are completed and authorities give the green light, Tsakas noted.

The DEDA chief executive expressed optimism on the prospects of natural gas, noting that wild price fluctuations amid the energy crisis do not diminish the strategic advantages offered by this fuel, which can contribute significantly to reduced energy cost.

DEDA is preparing for the Greek market entry of sector giant Italgas, which has acquired gas company DEPA Infrastructure, Tsakas noted, adding that the arrival of this new investor, possessing enormous expertise of over 100 years in the natural gas sector, will lead to further growth that will benefit DEDA.

“We are network operators and, therefore, must be able to respond efficiently and responsibly, whether we are talking about pure gas networks or a mixture of gas and hydrogen, or biomethane,” Tsakas remarked.

 

EC announcing plan to end EU dependence on Russian gas, oil

The European Commission will today present a new energy plan for the EU-27 that will aim to end Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas imports, amounting to roughly 155 billion cubic meters per year, as well as Russian oil.

Tools to be used for an end of this energy dependence will include LNG imports from the US and Qatar, further LNG terminal investments throughout Europe, accelerated development of RES projects, and emphasis on biogas and hydrogen.

A preliminary announcement of the EU’s new energy doctrine was made yesterday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

She also spoke of the need to protect consumers, especially lower-income groups, as well as enterprises, against skyrocketing energy prices as the continent braces for even higher electricity prices next month.

If natural gas prices remain at levels of over 300 euros per MW/h, wholesale electricity prices in Greece could soon exceed 700 euros per MWh. The wholesale electricity price in Greece today is at 462.90 euros per MWh, up 52 percent in a day.

The energy market turbulence is expected to persist until at least early next year.

 

Copelouzos’ Greek-Egyptian grid link backed by leaders

The Elica Interconnection, a Greek-Egyptian grid interconnection planned by the Copelouzos Group, has received the backing of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, entrepreneur Dimitris Copelouzos, founder of the group, has informed journalists.

A preceding teleconference between the leaders of the two countries, with participation from the president of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer, is expected to result in EU funding for the project.

According to Copelouzos, the project is budgeted at more than 3.5 billion euros, of which 1.5 billion euros will be provided by a group of Greek banks. The project is also a candidate for the PCI list, enabling EU funding support.

The Copelouzos group had set its sights on this project from as far back as 2008. Its double subsea cable, to stretch 954 kilometers from El Sallum to coastal Nea Makri, northeast of Athens, promises to transmit low-cost green energy with a 3-GW capacity, of which one third will be provided to local industries and the other two thirds exported to fellow EU members.

More specifically, on the exports, 1 GW will be transported through the Greek-Italian and Greek-Bulgarian networks, while the other 1 GW will be used for hydrogen production, most of which will be exported to other parts of Europe.

Licensing and financing procedures for the project are being hastened as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine as the Elica Interconnection promises to offer Greece and the rest of the EU yet another alternative energy source as part of the continent’s effort to restrict its dependence on Russia.

The Elica Interconnection is planned to be completed by late 2025 or early 2026.

PPC’s Ptolemaida V test run in summer, gas conversion in ’25

Power utility PPC’s prospective Ptolemaida V power station in northern Greece, whose construction has almost been completed, is expected to undergo a test run this coming summer, as a lignite-fired facility, ahead of its launch late in the year or early 2022, while the unit will be converted into a natural gas-fired unit as of 2025, top-ranked company officials have informed.

The officials ruled out any possibility of a deviation away from the corporation’s natural gas conversion plan for the facility by 2025.

Any delay would be detrimental for PPC given the rising cost of carbon emission rights, currently at a level of approximately 90 euros per ton, leading to losses.

Carbon emission rights would need to drop to a level of no more than 45 euros per ton for Ptolemaida V to cover its operating costs as a lignite-fired facility, the PPC officials noted.

Meanwhile, a recent European Commission decision on its Taxonomy, essentially excluding ultra-modern power stations that are exclusively fueled by natural gas from its list of green investments, comes as a setback for the financing terms achievable for such facilities, the PPC officials pointed out.

The PPC officials admitted, however, that this Brussels decision will push investors to seek emission-reducing solutions, such as mixed natural gas and hydrogen solutions.

PPC is preparing such ventures following a recent announcement concerning a related collaboration with Motor Oil.

The European Commission’s Taxonomy is intended to serve as a guide for private and public-sector investments required to achieve climate neutrality over the next 30 years.

 

Five hydrogen projects seeking inclusion on IPCEI list

Authorities at the energy and development ministries are working on approval procedures for five hydrogen-related projects involving as many companies – Damco (Copelouzos group), Snam, Energean, TAP and gas grid operator DESFA – all seeking their inclusion on the EU’s list of Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI).

Damco is interested in developing a low-carbon blue hydrogen production facility in Greece’s north. The project is planned to use natural gas for the production of hydrogen, while also capturing carbon emissions.

A Damco partnership with Italy’s Snam, involved in a number of hydrogen projects, is looking to develop three hydrogen producing facilities, in Athens, Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli, as well as hydrogen reloading railway stations.

Energean plans to develop a blue hydrogen plant of virtually zero emissions at Prinos, using natural gas and combining carbon capture and storage technology. Energean has already being given recovery fund approval and funding for this project.

DESFA, the gas grid operator, wants to develop hydrogen transmission projects.

TAP is interested in developing projects linked to the major White Dragon project – involving the country’s biggest energy groups with gas company DEPA Commercial as head coordinator, for a hydrogen producing facility in northern Greece’s lignite-dependent west Macedonia region – with the intention of transporting and exporting hydrogen to European markets through interconnections.

Once the five hydrogen projects are approved domestically, their investors will need to prove the maturity of the projects, technically and financially, in accordance with IPCEI criteria.