The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications introduced to the committee an analysis of the adoption of Estonia’s hydrogen resources, which showed that use of the element in the field of transport would have the most positive impact on the economy and people’s well-being. Taking into account the development of technology enabling the production, storage and use of hydrogen and considering the situation in Estonia, there is also potential in industry, including the energy industry and energy supply for buildings. Hydrogen will accelerate the transition to the use of cleaner energy and will help to achieve a climate-neutral economy. The most important factor in the widespread use of green hydrogen is the availability of carbon-neutral electricity, which is to say proportionally increasing the production of renewable energy.
“The rise in the price of electricity clearly shows that we have to invest in renewable energy capacity,” said Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. “Hydrogen has a future as both a source and accumulator of energy. The climate-neutral goals that Estonia shares with the European Union, combined with technological progress as a whole, certainly favour its broader use.” The EU Hydrogen Strategy foresees the element making up 13-14% of the union’s energy portfolio by 2050, guaranteeing employment for around 5.4 million highly qualified workers.
The drafting of a long-term strategy vision or roadmap promoting the use of hydrogen has been launched by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication and the Ministry of the Environment, as has the planning of support measures. A call for proposals is currently open for the use of green hydrogen in the public transport sector, the ultimate results of which must be achieved by 30 November 2024. A measure to the value of 50 million euros promoting the adoption of integrated hydrogen-based technology is also being prepared. It is planned to be launched at the end of 2022.
The green policy committee will be discussing hydrogen again on 30 November when it examines the roadmap for the adoption of hydrogen fuels and looks at innovative major projects in this field.
