Hydrogen Diplomacy Not a Substitute for Ukraine’s Defense Needs by Valeriya Izhyk published by Wilson Center (1/2022).
“On July 8, 2020, the European Commission, the main executive body of the European Union, issued its European Hydrogen Strategy. In this document, hydrogen was identified as essential to achieving Europe’s clean energy transition, while Ukraine was mentioned as a priority partner. Though the commission’s focus on Ukraine sounds like a chance for that country to reinvent its energy role in Europe in the wake of its declining role as the biggest gas transit country for natural gas for Europe, Germany, one of Ukraine’s key partners, seems to be using “hydrogen diplomacy” as a shield against real engagement with Ukraine in advance of a possible Russian invasion in the near term.
Hydrogen is a gas that can be produced from natural gas through a process known as steam-methane reforming or by electrolysis of water—splitting H2O molecules into H2 and O. It is not a new energy source. Currently, almost 95 percent of the world’s hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels and used in petrochemicals. Hydrogen saw moments of breakout popularity in the past, though none reached the level of incorporating hydrogen into international policy. Today the picture is changing: twelve countries have published hydrogen strategies and more than ten are working on their strategy, including the United States and Ukraine. According to the German strategy, however, the country will not be able to meet its domestic demand for energy through hydrogen alone…”