DTEK has become the first company in Ukraine to join the Hydrogen Europe Association, which unites leaders in the field of hydrogen technology in Europe. According to Emanuele Volpe, Chief Innovation Officer at DTEK, this membership will enable the company to build a network of direct contacts with international partners interested in developing the hydrogen economy both in Ukraine and around the world.

“European and local energy systems are transforming. Renewable energy sources place a heavy burden on the existing network, as carbon energy ceases to be sustainable ecologically and economically. The use of hydrogen technologies opens up opportunities for both the decarbonization of the main sectors of the economy, and the development of a new sector of the economy which will create additional job places, ” said Emanuele Volpe, Chief Innovation Officer at DTEK.

According to him, the importance of DTEK joining the Hydrogen Europe Association also lies in the fact that this week the European Commission presented its strategy for using hydrogen, which it considers to be one of the most important energy sources in the transition to a carbon-free economy. “Ukraine is obliged to become an active partner of Europe on the path to decarbonization,” Emanuele Volpe noted.

He emphasized that the search for new technologies and innovative solutions for transforming the Ukrainian energy sector, developing a competitive market and the country's energy independence is one of DTEK's priorities.

“Membership in Hydrogen Europe will make it possible to translate DTEK's innovative interests both in the Ukrainian and international communities. We will be able to study the key areas in the formation of the European countries regulatory framework for hydrogen, get direct access to the list of the most promising international cases and gain practical experience in implementing projects aimed at decarbonizing the energy sector, ” said Emanuele Volpe.

He recalled that in 2020 DTEK established a project team to study the possibilities of using hydrogen in the Ukrainian economy. The team is currently conducting an in-depth feasibility study on the use of hydrogen in the fields of transport, energy and industry.

The Chief Innovation Officer also said that in the next couple of years DTEK plans to organize a pilot project using hydrogen to further develop the technology in the company and Ukraine as a whole.