Pristupačnost
The transition towards a clean and renewable future with a focus on hydrogen as a key element of energy decarbonisation is the main topic of the scientific colloquium "Energy transition: the present and future of hydrogen", held on October 7, 2024 at FER.
The goal of the event was to bring the role of hydrogen closer to the general public, to answer key questions about its future, to strengthen cooperation between leading Croatian research institutions and to transfer research knowledge to industry and the business world, and at the same time to answer the question: is hydrogen a myth or a hit?
Dean of FER prof. Vedran Bilas, PhD, greeted the audience and thanked the Ruđer Bošković Institute, the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology of the University of Zagreb (FKIT) and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb (FSB) for their participation and co-organization of the scientific colloquium.
"Through a series of scientific colloquia, we encourage inter-institutional cooperation and excellence in the research of the components of the University of Zagreb, and we try to present the research conducted in Croatia to industry and the general public. This excellent research must always look to the future, but also be applicable and developed in cooperation with industry in order to transferred them to it more easily and improved the business environment in Croatia," said Bilas.
Vice Dean for Research and Innovation at FER, Assoc. Prof. Tomislav Capuder, PhD, pointed out that hydrogen has the potential to become a key element in the green energy transition, but its role is still not fully defined. He explained that green hydrogen, obtained by electrolysis of water with the use of renewable sources, is the most desirable and the only long-term sustainable form.
"Currently, with an insufficiently high percentage of renewable energy sources in total consumption, the role of hydrogen as a sustainable solution has not yet been fully exploited. However, with the increase in the share of renewable sources, hydrogen could become a key tool for energy storage and transport, as well as for the decarbonization of industry and traffic," emphasized Capuder and added that research and development of hydrogen technologies are extremely important for maintaining European leadership in this sector and for accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources. He also pointed out that Croatia has been conducting a series of relevant research in the field of hydrogen technologies for years.
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The adoption of the EU hydrogen strategy marked a key step in defining the European path towards decarbonisation, with FSB leading the way in hydrogen technology research in Croatia. To the question whether hydrogen is a myth or a hit, associate professor from FSB Ankica Kovač offered an answer in her lecture.
"Hydrogen has a wide range of applications and can be used in the production of electricity, heat and even cooling energy. It is suitable for use in industry, transport, household, general energy, and for balancing the power system. Today, hydrogen is not rejected by anyone, and the question is no longer "It is not whether hydrogen has a role in the energy transition and the realization of energy independence, but the question is how and in what way the potential of hydrogen can be realized, expanded and used in achieving climate goals," said Kovač.
The lectures were held by Nikola Biliškov, PhD, from the Ruđer Bošković Institute, prof. Nenad Bolf, PhD, and Srečko Herceg, PhD, from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology and prof. Hrvoje Pandžić, PhD, from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, and they referred to topics such as the level of technological development, costs and prices of hydrogen, and the moment when hydrogen will assume its role in the decarbonized energy sector. In addition, they also analyzed the transition towards hydrogen energy and the applications of hydrogen in various industries.
A photo gallery is available at the link here.