Environmental friendliness, energy efficiency and versatility are the main advantages of hydrogen energy. The fact that hydrogen combustion produces no harmful emissions into the atmosphere, releasing only water as a residue, confirms its eco-friendliness. Hydrogen fuel efficiency reaches 65%, surpassing other fuels, whose efficiency is 33–35%. The versatility of hydrogen energy stems from the fact that it can be used not only for fueling vehicles but also for generating and storing electricity.

In fact, hydrogen (H) is the most abundant element not only on Earth but throughout the entire universe. However, under normal conditions, it cannot be found as either hydrogen (H) or hydrogen gas (H₂). It occurs in other organic compounds, such as water (H₂O) and readily reacts. The energy released during this reaction, which forms water from hydrogen and air, can be used as electricity. To use this reaction in industrial electricity generation, hydrogen is obtained from water by splitting its atoms into oxygen and hydrogen using electrolysis.

Currently, several methods are used for industrial hydrogen production. Green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy sources through water electrolysis, is considered the cleanest in this field. Hydrogen is also classified as blue, yellow, gray and other colors depending on the raw materials from which it is produced and the residues released during combustion. Most hydrogen produced globally is derived from natural gas. Fuels, derived from oil and coal and fuel produced from water, using electrolysis, are also prevalent. Hydrogen production from natural gas is considered the most cost-effective and economically viable.

Today, developed countries are developing strategies for clean fuels, with particular attention being paid to hydrogen production. According to statistics, approximately 75 million tons of pure hydrogen are currently produced worldwide annually, along with approximately 45 million tons as a gas mixture. This satisfies approximately 3% of total global energy demand. Countries such as Germany, France, the UK, Japan and the US are leaders in this area. Green hydrogen is currently an important part of the global strategy to reduce carbon emissions and to switch to renewable energy sources. According to experts from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the cost of producing hydrogen fuel will have decreased by 30% by 2030.

Using hydrogen as an energy source is highly effective in significantly reducing fossil fuel consumption and solving environmental problems such as air pollution from harmful gases emitted by vehicles. Rising prices for energy sources such as oil and coal, their limited availability and their uneven distribution across the globe mean that hydrogen fuel could help many countries achieve energy independence in the future.

The significant economic potential of hydrogen energy is also noteworthy. Hydrogen can be used as a clean fuel for long-haul and heavy-duty transportation. For example, 1 kilogram of hydrogen produces 3 times more energy than the same amount of oil.

Hydrogen can be effectively used in industry and manufacturing, for heating buildings and in the social sphere without generating greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen’s environmental safety makes it a promising fuel for use.

In our country, significant efforts are being made to develop hydrogen energy as a promising field. At Yagshygeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas, a Hydrogen Energy Center, where effective research is being conducted, operates. The Center collaborates with leading international universities and companies to train highly qualified specialists in the field of hydrogen energy and to establish an educational and research laboratory. It also offers advanced training courses for representatives of the Türkmengaz and Türkmennebit State Concerns and the Ministry of Energy. Recent research, conducted at this Center using electrolysis to produce green hydrogen energy from water, and the creation of a laboratory facility for producing hydrogen fuel from natural gas, using an innovative plasma-chemical method, represent a significant breakthrough.

Specialists at the International Science and Technology Park of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan are also actively working on developing methods for producing green hydrogen as an affordable and renewable energy source. The Renewable Energy Research and Production Center of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan is also successfully conducting experiments on hydrogen production through electrolysis, using solar energy and other methods.

Turkmenistan has an enormous potential for the successful development of industrial-scale hydrogen production as the fuel of the future. Our country is rich in natural gas, which is the primary energy source for hydrogen production. Wind and solar energy on the Caspian Sea coast and in the Karakum Desert can also serve as a source of energy for electrolysis.

Under the leadership of our esteemed President, our country attaches great importance to the development of international cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy. Important initiatives in this area were also put forward at the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, which was held in the Avaza national tourism zone from August 4 to 8 of the current year. This is confirmed by the fact that among the initiatives put forward by our esteemed President, who delivered a substantive speech at the plenary session of the forum, was the development of a global program for the transition to hydrogen energy for the 2030–2040 period.

Yagmyr ATAYEV,
a student of the Civil Service Academy under the President of Turkmenistan