Russia plans to take hydrogen lead

Russia aims to use its vast fossil fuel resources, nuclear technology and scientific expertise to become a "world leader in production and exports of hydrogen" by 2035, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak says.

The country aims to develop technology to produce hydrogen from natural gas using nuclear energy, and to develop other low-carbon methods of hydrogen production, Novak told the recent Russian-German Raw Materials Forum. Russia's energy strategy includes state support in building infrastructure to transport hydrogen, and promoting hydrogen's use as a transport fuel and as energy storage in the power sector, he says.

"Experts say that hydrogen may constitute 7-25pc of the [global] energy balance by 2050, as soon as the issues of high production costs and the challenges related to transportation are resolved," Novak told forum delegates. He sees the EU and Asia-Pacific as key future hydrogen consumers. Russia and Germany are already working on a joint action plan on hydrogen development and may look to create partnerships under which Russian hydrogen can be supplied to Germany, he says.

Forging a leading position in hydrogen production is a sign that Russia wants to play its part in the transition to a low-carbon energy system. But the country still sees a major role for hydrocarbons for some time to come.

"Russia supports international efforts to prevent climate change, to protect the environment and to use natural resources effectively… we also see that hydrocarbons will remain a leading source of energy in the next decades and that it is important to make sure that they are used in the cleanest way, along with the use of new energy sources," Novak adds.

Russia aims to generate about 90pc of its power from gas and non-fossil fuels by 2035, up from 84pc now. Over a third of its electricity comes from non-fossil fuel sources — 18.3pc from nuclear plants, 16pc from hydropower and 0.2pc from other renewables — while gas-fired power plants account for almost half.

Novak became a deputy prime minister last month, having served as energy minister for more than eight years. He retains oversight of the energy sector.