Ukraine has sufficient resources and capabilities to launch the first hydrogen projects and start exporting hydrogen to Germany by 2024.
President of the Ukrainian Hydrogen Council Oleksandr Repkin said this in a comment to the Green Deal portal, sharing the details of a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“Annalena Baerbock is responsible for the entire German climate dialogue in the foreign arena, so the topic of hydrogen is very important for her. At the meeting, we told her that at this stage Ukraine has enough resources and opportunities to launch the first and start exporting hydrogen to Germany projects by 2024,” he said.
Repkin specified that hydrogen will be transported in a mixture with natural gas through the existing gas transmission system.
“We are already ready to transport 10% concentration of hydrogen mixed with natural gas via the GTS. By 2024, subject to modernization, the percentage may be higher. The main thing is to choose an entry point, a place where you can connect to the GTS, and then it will be possible to transport the mixture,” he said.
Earlier, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba also spoke about the plans to start exporting “green” hydrogen to Germany from 2024, but with a caveat “according to the optimistic scenario.”
At the meeting with the head of German diplomacy on January 17, Kuleba once again spoke about Ukraine’s plans to become a key supplier of “green” hydrogen to the EU.
“Ukraine is actively developing renewable energy, in particular, it plans to become a key supplier of “green” hydrogen to the EU. We are strengthening energy partnership with Germany and developing a number of major projects in the production and transportation of “green” hydrogen,” the foreign minister said.
The visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Ukraine and Germany will take place on January 18 to 20, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday.
“In Kyiv, Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to reinforce the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
According to the document, on January 20, Blinken will travel to Berlin, where he is scheduled to meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
In turn, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that on January 19, Blinken will pay a visit to Ukraine at the invitation of Foreign Minister Kuleba.
“The visit will be a continuation of close coordination between Ukraine and the United States in order to deter Russia from further aggression,” the ministry said.
It is noted that Kuleba and Blinken will hold talks on the further implementation of a comprehensive containment package for Russia, practical support for Ukraine by the United States, and active diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict.”
The parties will also discuss issues of strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States in the areas of security, trade, investment and others.
Ukraine in 2021 imported 8.791 million tonnes of oil products (according to foreign economic activity code 2710: gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, jet fuel, etc.), which is 9.6% more than in 2020 (8.023 million tonnes).
According to the State Customs Service, oil products were imported in the amount of $5.615 billion, which is 65.3% more than in 2020 ($3.397 billion).
Belarus supplied fuel for $2.351 billion (share – 41.87%), Russia – for $1.241 billion (22.09%), Lithuania – for $654.584 million (11.66%), other countries – for $1.369 billion (24.37%).
In addition, Ukraine exported 308,716 tonnes (more 3.3% compared to 2020) of oil products for a total of $192.65 million (up 50.3%). The cost of fuel delivered to counterparties from Latvia amounted to $36.779 million, Estonia – $32.636 million, Malta – $18.81 million, other countries – $104.425 million.
Ukraine increased imports of hard coal and anthracite by 15.4% in 2021 year-on-year (by 2.612 million tonnes), up to 19.563 million tonnes.
According to the State Customs Service, coal was imported for $2.489 billion, which is 47.2% more than in 2020 ($1.691 billion).
Ukraine received $1.545 billion worth of coal (62.09% of imports) from Russia, $494.636 million (19.88%) from the United States, $253.469 million (10.18%) from Kazakhstan and $195.383 million (7.85%) worth of coal from other countries.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that she would soon visit Ukraine along with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and they would visit the country’s eastern regions.
“The two of us will soon visit Ukraine again, we will go to the contact line in Donbas, since in recent weeks I have received information about how much the civilian population is suffering: women, children, young people, the elderly. We have lost sight of them. We must talk about security and peace in the region,” Baerbock said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Monday.
In turn, Kuleba said that during the joint visit of Baerbock and Le Drian to Ukraine, their trilateral meeting will take place, during which they will discuss in detail the prospects for a meeting of Normandy format’s Foreign Ministers.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Ukrainian football player and coach Andriy Shevchenko, fired from the Italian football club Genoa, to work in Ukraine.
“Andriy Mykolayovych, Sheva. Not only our whole country, but the whole of Europe knows what kind of game a team under your leadership is capable of. We believe that you will not come apart, we know that you will become even better! And most importantly. You are most loved in Ukraine. Therefore, go back to work at home,” Zelensky wrote on his Facebook page.
The President noted that “let it be only the first defeat at the beginning of a great career of a great coach.”
Earlier it was reported that the Italian football club Genoa reported on the dismissal of ex-coach of Ukraine’s national football team Andriy Shevchenko.
