Will the green hydrogen market take off? Its production is very costly in the Czech Republic

Over the past several years, the hydrogen market has been a major topic in the EU. Green hydrogen production was seen as having a bright future, especially given the rapid development of renewable energy sources (RES). Some forecasts even suggested that hydrogen would largely replace natural gas in the foreseeable future. Unrealistic expectations were also reflected in legislation, which is now said to be holding back development, as reported by the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP).

Hydrogen is currently produced around the world primarily through steam reforming of natural gas. This hydrogen is referred to as grey hydrogen, and its production releases approximately 12 kg of CO₂ per kg of hydrogen (H₂) produced. In the Czech Republic, hydrogen is produced mainly from oil residues generated during the processing of conventional fuels. The country’s largest producer and consumer is ORLEN Unipetrol.

Green hydrogen is produced through water electrolysis, in which water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity from RES. Emissions-free “clean” hydrogen can also be produced using electricity from nuclear power plants, whose generation is carbon-free.