Hydrogen could be produced at the former Centrum deep mine site near Most in Czechia

Hydrogen could be produced at the site of the former Centrum deep coal mine near Horní Jiřetín in the Most region. The hydrogen system is expected to be connected to a solar power plant. The so-called green hydrogen could be used in chemical and agricultural operations as well as for transport, according to a published project proposal by Sev.en Inntech.

The site is expected to produce 2390 tonnes of hydrogen per year. The proposal is part of the Green Mine project to transform an area affected by coal mining. Water electrolysis has been selected as the only suitable technology for producing so-called green hydrogen using clean electricity from renewable sources. The facility will consist of a containerised PEM electrolyser with a total electrical input of 15 MW (megawatts), according to the project notification.

Construction of the hydrogen facility is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, with operations starting a year later. Before construction, some structures will be demolished, excluding buildings designated as cultural heritage sites, including headframes and winding engines. The electrolyser will be connected to a solar power plant that will include a battery storage facility.

Lignite mining at the Centrum mine ended in 2016. The shaft was backfilled and the mine secured. The site is fenced off. No recreational use of the area is planned.

In 2024, the Ústí Region Authority approved a proposal by Orlen Unipetrol RPA to produce renewable hydrogen using electricity from renewable sources at the nearby Záluží petrochemical plant near Litvínov. Investment is expected to begin in 2026, with completion scheduled for the end of 2028. The plant is expected to produce 900 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year. The two proposals are separate projects, and offtake of hydrogen from both is secured. They are independent of each other in terms of electricity. Both include plans to build a solar power plant that would supply renewable energy for the projects. They will share a source of demineralised water, but under a preliminary agreement, both facilities should have an adequate supply and there should be no conflict, according to the recently published notification by Sev.en Inntech.