AB Amber Grid : First foundation for the hydrogen era is being laid in Lithuania – the drafting of the national guidelines for hydrogen development has started

Taking into account the directions of energy transformation, in pursuit of decarbonisation of the economy and implementation of provisions of the European Green Deal, Lithuania is starting to draft the national guidelines for the development of hydrogen technology. Having conducted a detailed analysis, independent foreign experts, in cooperation with Lithuanian institutions and companies, will present possible value chain solutions for the hydrogen sector.

This is stipulated in the contract signed between the international UK-based consulting company Baringa Consulting Limited cooperating with the international management consulting firm Civitta, the Lithuanian gas transmission system operator Amber Grid and EPSO-G group. The EUR 145 000 contract was awarded to Baringa Consulting Limited following a public tender announced last summer. According to plans, the guidelines for the development of the Lithuanian hydrogen sector till 2050 and the action plan for their implementation till 2030 will be prepared upcoming spring.

"All the recent global studies and assessments reveal that green hydrogen is essential for decarbonisation of the energy, industrial and transport sectors. Therefore, Lithuania also needs to assess the role that hydrogen should play in achieving the goals of decarbonisation and the benefits it could bring to Lithuania. The conducted study should provide guidelines for future plans related to green hydrogen," says Dainius Kreivys, Minister of Energy of Lithuania.

Baringa Partners is a leading consulting firm supporting clients to move towards a low carbon future. Baringa has worked with organisations across the hydrogen ecosystem to realise the fuel's and its energy carrier's potential. This spans everything from exploring the feasibility of hydrogen exports to Germany with the Australian government right through to identifying the commercial opportunities for the large-scale application of green hydrogen across Europe for EIT InnoEnergy.

Commenting on the partnership, Baringa's global lead for hydrogen, Kate Orchard, said: "Hydrogen has a clear role to play in accelerating the journey to net zero, so we are delighted to be partnering with Amber Grid to develop Lithuania's hydrogen roadmap. We are proud to be supporting countries at the forefront of this development and expect to see other nations turning to hydrogen to facilitate the energy transition. Our experience working across the global hydrogen ecosystem will enable us to bring insights on core strategy objectives and drivers, targets, and roadmap steps. We will do this in collaboration with Civitta to enable the engagement of all local stakeholders."

The mandate to form a strategic hydrogen value chain is provided in the declaration of the Lithuanian Hydrogen Platform which was established in 2020 at the initiative of the Ministry of Energy. Launched with 19 representatives from the public sector, business and the research community, the platform now brings together more than 45 participants who are actively interacting in different working groups in the hydrogen industry, transport and energy.

In order to prepare the guidelines for the development of hydrogen in Lithuania, an overview of the situation in the EU of the factors that affect the advancement of the hydrogen sector will be conducted, including: the reduction of CO2 emissions, expansion of renewable energy sources, buildup of new technologies, evolution of transport, interoperability of different systems and the like. Long-term recommendations, visions and strategies of international organizations for the development of the hydrogen sector in the fields of energy, transport, industry and households will be analysed, also assessing the potential of the region for the development of hydrogen and the proposals of state institutions, companies, organizations and members of the Lithuanian Hydrogen Platform.

The experts will conduct an analysis of the potential for the development of hydrogen production and use in Lithuania, covering the hydrogen value chain starting with its production opportunities in Lithuania, storage of the new energy carrier, its import and export, promotion of investment in hydrogen development and ending with infrastructure adaptation for hydrogen.

In the development of the Lithuanian Hydrogen Development Guidelines and the action plan for their implementation, a detailed modelling of hydrogen supply and demand will be performed not only in the energy sector, but in the transport and industrial sectors as well.

The European Green Deal and the Hydrogen Strategy adopted by the European Commission in 2020 envisage that green hydrogen will be the main sustainable energy source in the global transition to renewable energy, addressing the issue of balancing and storing renewable electricity.

In the implementation of the National Energy Independence Strategy, Lithuania has started cooperating in the development of the first pilot green hydrogen production project, and plans have been announced to integrate large renewable energy capacities into the Lithuanian energy system, including onshore and offshore wind and solar energy.

Almost all the major European countries already have developed and published their hydrogen strategies. Studies conducted in recent years indicate that hydrogen demand in Europe will exceed its supply over the next ten years. Therefore, buying and transporting hydrogen from the Baltic states and Scandinavia will also be important, as they are seen as potential producers of hydrogen due to favourable conditions for the development of renewable energy, such as wind farms in the Baltic Sea.