Тhe ‘Green Hydrogen @ Blue Danube’ project

Bulgaria has developed an ambitious ‘Important Project of Common European Interest’ (IPCEI) on hydrogen, that aims to produce low-cost green hydrogen from solar energy at centralised large-scale production hubs and export it to Northern Europe via the Danube River transport axis. This project has been labelled the ‘Green Hydrogen @ Blue Danube’ project and will apply for state aid from the Bulgarian government through designation as an IPCEI.The Ruse hydrogen project will kick start the activities planned in the Green Hydrogen @ Blue Danube IPCEI, by retrofitting an existing tugboat with a zero-emission hybrid battery and fuel cell drivetrain and operating the vessel on the Danube River. The vessel will be refuelled at Port Ruse West using a novel mobile refuelling solution and low carbon produced from an electrolyser located at the new Ruse bus depot. The electrolyser will be supplied with power from a new photovoltaic park, also located at the bus depot. In addition to use tugboat, hydrogen will also be used to fuel a fleet of twenty standard fuel cell buses, operated on public transport routes in the city as part of the Ruse Municipal fleet.
Significant technology development and expertise created through this initial phase of the project will pave the way for hydrogen production and transport at scale, that will enable Bulgaria to. In addition to the mitigation of emissions from marine vessels and buses, the project is also expected to have significant local environmental benefits by reducing the impact of air pollution on the Danube River region ecosystem
The pilot deployment of hydrogen infrastructure, a hybrid fuel cell / battery powered freight vessel and twenty fuel cell buses in Ruse has strong implications for the development of Ruse Municipality and the Danube region. It will pave the way for further deployment of zero carbon transport technologies and the required supporting infrastructure by setting out legislative, financial, and technology frameworks to enable larger-scale deployments in future. Implementation of a robust communication and engagement strategy of the project is essential for the realization of the potential of this project to drive the technological, scientific and economic advancement and sustainable decarbonization the region. This strategy aims to build a ‘hydrogen community’ in the region and inform and engage the general public on the deployment of clean technologies.
In future, it is expected that the plentiful solar resource in Bulgaria will allow the country to export large quantities of green hydrogen to North Europe. The Green Hydrogen @ Blue Danube strategy envisages that the production and transport of hydrogen will become a major economic activity for Bulgaria, and the Danube transport axis will play a key role in this strategy. Zero emission vessels will carry large quantities of low carbon hydrogen, produced from solar electricity, to countries such as Germany via vessels on the Danube transport axis.
Ruse will take the first step in the development of this new economic activity for Bulgaria by demonstrating the viability of hydrogen production, refuelling, and maritime technology, developing skills and knowledge around hydrogen, and setting out a legislative framework for future deployments. Further deployment of hydrogen technology at critical Danube port locations is expected to follow the initial demonstration in Ruse.