The development of a pilot project for green hydrogen in the storage facility at the Chiren gas station has started

With a memorandum of understanding between Bulgartransgaz EAD, Glavbolgarstroy Holding AD, the American companies Solar Turbines Inc. and Honeywell, as well as the Italian Pietro Fiorentini launched the development of a pilot project for the production and use of green hydrogen for technological needs in the facilities of the Chiren underground gas storage facility. The memorandum provides for the preparation of a pilot project study with several options for plant and equipment capacities, mixing ratios and other characteristics. The green hydrogen produced by the project is intended to be used for technological needs as a fuel at the site and is not planned to be supplied to third parties.

According to the executive director of "Bulgartransgaz" EAD Vladimir Malinov, the implementation of this first-of-its-kind hydrogen pilot project for the region will show in practice an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "I am convinced that after today's signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the fruitful partnership between Bulgarian, American and Italian companies will deepen over the years," he added. According to him, hydrogen is a main pillar of the future of the economy and energy with zero emissions. "The experience of the operators of gas transmission networks will guarantee the security of the infrastructure, which will also be used for the transfer of hydrogen," he added.

The document was signed within the framework of the conference "The New Energy Environment in Southeast Europe", which is being held in Washington, USA. The event is organized by the Delphi Economic Forum, the Business Council for International Understanding and the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. In his speech at the "Main Energy Projects" panel, Vladimir Malinov presented the projects on which the company is working to ensure energy security in the region. The expansion of the underground gas storage in Chiren, the intersystem gas connection Bulgaria-Serbia, the liquefied gas terminal in Alexandroupolis are in an advanced phase. The company is planning projects to expand the gas infrastructure and increase the capacities of the Kulata/Sidirokastro and Kardam/Negro voda interconnection points, given the high interest expressed in the non-binding market research phase launched in July 2023.

In order to achieve the goals of the expansion of the underground gas storage, work is being done on the construction of new above-ground and underground facilities, as well as a gas pipeline connecting "Chiren" with the existing gas transmission network of "Bulgartransgaz" EAD. Partners of Bulgartransgaz EAD in the construction of the new overhead facilities for the expansion of Chiren are Glavbolgarstroy Holding AD, Solar Turbines Inc., Honeywell and Pietro Fiorentini, who are leading developers and suppliers of technologies in the field of production and use of hydrogen fuel.

"Bulgartransgaz" plans projects for the development of the future hydrogen network in Bulgaria. The first phase of the infrastructure project for the transfer of pure hydrogen in Bulgaria - construction of a 250 km pipeline from Sofia to the Bulgarian-Greek border with two compressor stations - has been proposed as a project of common interest to the EU. "We are also developing projects to adapt the gas transmission network so that they work with up to 10% hydrogen," said Vladimir Malinov. We remind you that Bulgartransgaz EAD is a member of the European Alliance for Clean Hydrogen and an active participant in the European Hydrogen Backbone initiative.