RWE, EP Infrastructure, Eustream and Nafta to develop blue hydrogen hub in Slovakia

EP Infrastructure (Epif), Eustream, Nafta and RWE Supply & Trading have signed an MoU to jointly explore the potential development of blue hydrogen production facilities in eastern Slovakia.

Under the agreement, RWE could off-take and import the produced low-carbon hydrogen to Germany and other RWE core markets in Western Europe through a repurposed Eustream gas pipeline. The CO2 captured during hydrogen generation could be stored within depleted natural gas fields in Slovakia or other Central Eastern European countries, including Ukraine. The project will also help to establish the infrastructure required for future imports of green hydrogen from Eastern Europe, including Ukraine.

The partners will establish a joint working group to set up a roadmap for project implementation and hold dialogues with relevant stakeholders enabling the project implementation, most notably in Ukraine, Czech Republic and Austria in the coming months.

Ulf Kerstin, CCO of RWE Supply & Trading GmbH, said, “We expect a significant need for low-carbon hydrogen imports to Germany in order to meet domestic demand already in 2030.”

Gary Mazzotti, CEO of EP Infrastructure, said, “The cooperation with RWE will enable us to jointly explore opportunities instrumental to successful energy transition of EU.”

Rastislav Nukovic, CEO of Eustream, added, “The cooperation with RWE in the field of blue hydrogen production in Slovakia is an exciting opportunity that aims to accelerate not only our ambitions but also the hydrogen roll-out in the EU.”

Martin Bartošovič, CEO of Nafta, stated, “We believe that together with our partners, we are able to find attractive development opportunities aimed at promoting accelerated hydrogen deployment.”

RWE Supply & Trading is the trading arm of the energy company RWE. It pursues international opportunities to import green and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives (e.g. ammonia) to Germany and other European markets to complement RWE’s own green hydrogen production.

EP Infrastructure (Epif) is a leading European energy infrastructure utility focused on gas transmission, gas and power distribution, heat and power generation and gas storage. Eustream and Nafta are its two subsidiaries planning to become leading hydrogen infrastructure operators. They work between the anticipated production centres in Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and the consumption in Germany and other Western European countries.

Eustream aims to make its grid hydrogen-ready, and by 2023 it aims to be technologically ready to accept hydrogen blends of up to 5% in its system and the future, it plans to dedicate one of its pipelines to pure hydrogen transmission. Nafta experience in storage with its strategic location will significantly contribute to the cooperation in hydrogen and CO2 storage.