There will be a traveling hydrogen filling station in Slovakia. Everyone can find out. whether it matters
Within the editorial office, we have been monitoring developments in the field of hydrogen vehicle propulsion for a long time. We have already received information from the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, now we have gone under the Director General of the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency, Mr. Peter Blaškovitší (PB).
Who is SIEA?
Recall that SIEA has two basic roles in terms of hydrogen strategy. The market needs to be started with promotional activities on which solutions can be put. The aim is to arouse interest and the whole environment of hydrogen perception in society. The second task is to use support from the structural funds to support the development of hydrogen production, distribution and use in Slovakia.
The aim of the SIEA is to ensure coordination through existing EU resources, but especially to public transport challenges city bus, resp. short suburban transport to a smaller district town, where a gas station would also be available. Its task is therefore to create such a smaller model of H2 technology operation in Slovakia.
TI: So when will I see the first gas station in Slovakia?
PB: When everything goes well, the first hydrogen filling station in Slovakia will soon be a reality. And it will be a gas station that will travel around Slovakia. We will gradually go through the whole of Slovakia with it and the goal is to tell people what hydrogen-powered really means. We want to stop in practically every district town in Slovakia and we will stay there for a week and maybe even longer.
Of course, it will not only be a petrol station, there will also be hydrogen-powered vehicles. SIEA currently has two Toyota Mirai hydrogen cars purchased. Although this is not easy in terms of current data, we assume that we will procure at least one hydrogen-powered bus. It will actually be such a hydrogen roadshow throughout Slovakia. This is how to practically imagine what hydrogen propulsion is and that there is no need to be afraid of it. If possible, we will provide three hydrogen-powered buses.
YOU: How will the ten buses work? Will it be part of public transport in the city?
PB: No, it won’t work as part of public transportation, rather it will, let’s say an attraction that anyone in the district can see. The specific bus route will be agreed with the city management. The schedule of stops in Slovakia has already been developed, but it can still be adapted to specific requirements.
YOU: Will that bus go further out of town?
PB: It should be noted that the hydrogen bus is ideal for suburban connections. However, we are struggling with the fact that today there is no suburban hydrogen bus that we could buy. Our bus can be used for nearby suburban transport. Its internal design will be specially adapted for hydrogen education. There will be e.g. LCD display on which the principle of operation will be explained.
YOU: Will we have other hydrogen filling stations in Slovakia?
PB: We continue and we expect to build another four such service stations. One will be in Bratislava, one in Košice and two will be in the middle of Slovakia (possibly Banská Bystrica). They will also be semi-mobile filling stations. In this context, we will issue a public procurement in the near future.
YOU: What is the next period and what will this procurement specifically concern?
PB: We are talking about several new drives and it will be procured for gas stations and also for hydrogen-powered buses. We will not expand the fleet of passenger cars within the SIEA for the time being.
YOU: Who will pump this hydrogen at these filling stations? After all, today the number of hydrogen cars in Slovakia can be counted on the fingers. I saw one Slovak hydrogen-powered bus during my visit to EXPO Dubai 2020.
PB: Yes, currently the number of hydrogen cars in Slovakia is really small, but that will change. This is similar to the hen and the egg – which was the first. To get started, technology simply needs to start and regardless of the economic benefits in the very beginning.
In this context, the Ministry of Economy will issue an open demand call for the construction of filling stations. From this programming period, it will be a call for production and expenditure green hydrogen. You know it’s really not easy to make really green hydrogen, but that’s what we’re interested in. Therefore, it will be possible to apply for a non-repayable financial contribution specifically for a green hydrogen filling station. So we are talking about the production of hydrogen using renewable sources such as wind, water or photovoltaics. Photovoltaics seems to be the most feasible. From the new programming period then come challenges that will be focused on other gas stations.
YOU: What will produce the hydrogen that will be in the previously mentioned traveling gas station?
PB: In this case, we leave it up to the supplier to obtain the hydrogen. It’s about finding help yourself. And it is so that green hydrogen production is more financially demanding than, say, less ecological…
YOU: Will there be an advantage when buying hydrogen cars?
PB: According to the original plans, this was to be dealt with globally within the EU, but later European President Ursula von der Leyen redirected funds for major passenger cars to support freight transport such as trains, buses, long-distance freight transport, etc. And let’s face it, it makes more sense there.
The purchase price of a hydrogen car is dramatically higher than in the case of cars with combustion or hybrid propulsion. The real bottleneck for hydrogen passenger cars is so far the supplier of the pumping network and the price of hydrogen. Hydrogen has a price range of 2 to 13 euros per kilogram. And, of course, the green one isn’t the most.
YOU: Who is the largest hydrogen consumer in Slovakia in the future?
PB: These are transport companies that can also apply for co-financing, e.g. from the funds of the Ministry of Transport. I would like to draw attention to the link with hydrogen to trains. We still have many non-electrified lines in Slovakia and this is the way to make train transport more environmentally friendly and stable.
YOU: What about the two cars SIEA has today? What type is it and where do you actually pump hydrogen into it?
PB: Cars are taking part in the mentioned roadshow and other state institutions will also plan from them. We want to provide them e.g. To the Ministry but also to the Ministry of the Environment.
These are Toyota Mirai vehicles, which is more like a limousine. The Hyundai Nexo, which is a hydrogen SUV, is also coming. We are still pumping hydrogen to Vienna, but that will change.
YOU: Well, what is the future of transport – is it electromobility or rather hydrogen propulsion?
PB: That’s a common question. The correct answer is that the future is both technologies, each designed for something different. In passenger transport, a purely electric car is great, e.g. for daily commuting to work with a daily drive up to 100 km. ideal if you can charge your car at home and at work. The hydrogen car is again designed for, say, a trip from Bratislava to Košice. Hydrogen technology is suitable for buses or the mentioned trains. E.g. such a ski bus in a hydrogen-powered ski resort is a very good solution. Low temperature is no problem with hydrogen propulsion. In addition, there is usually a certain degree of environmental protection in the ski centers, which is why there is hydrogen propulsion, which leaves the bus out only clean water, will do very well.
Thanks for the interview!
Ondrej Macko asked for TOUCHIT
Resources: actually