By Kyriacos Nicolaou
June 27, 2023
Synopsis
At the Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum in Athens, Andreas Poullikkas, the chairman of Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA), highlighted the natural gas reserves in the Southeastern Mediterranean as a transitional solution for the EU's reliance on Russian gas. He emphasized the potential for the region, including Cyprus, to lead in the hydrogen economy and become climate-neutral while exporting sustainable energy to the EU. Poullikkas underscored the benefits of hydrogen as an energy carrier and stressed the need for regional collaboration and a long-term strategic plan for the integration of renewable energy sources. The Southeastern Mediterranean can play a vital role in the energy transition and reducing the EU's dependence on Russian gas.
In a speech delivered at the Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum held last week in Athens, Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) chairman Andreas Poullikkas emphasised that until the completion of the energy transition, natural gas reserves in the Southeastern Mediterranean region could provide a transitional solution to the EU’s dependence on Russian natural gas.
Poullikkas was invited as an honorary speaker to the session titled “European Policies for the Promotion of Hydrogen and Renewable Gases” during the forum.
According to an announcement, he had the opportunity to address the challenges of increased hydrogen utilisation in energy systems and how Cyprus could become climate-neutral.
Speaking to EnergyPress, a prominent energy news portal, Poullikkas stated that the countries in the Southeastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, could take the lead in the hydrogen economy, become climate-neutral, and simultaneously serve as sustainable energy exporters to the EU.
Highlighting hydrogen as an energy carrier that offers an opportunity to address energy supply, renewable energy reliability, climate change, and pollution issues faced by various countries, Poullikkas stressed that the attractiveness of hydrogen lies in its potential to replace the use of fossil fuels in heating, cooling, transportation, and electricity generation, with only water vapour emissions being generated.
When asked how Cyprus could become climate-neutral, the CERA chairman stressed the need for regional collaboration, considering the energy resources of the Southeastern Mediterranean, which combine natural gas reserves with renewable energy sources.
He explains that this combination represents the comparative advantage of the region. Until the completion of the energy transition, he added, natural gas reserves in the Southeastern Mediterranean could serve as a transitional solution for the EU’s dependency on Russian natural gas.
Moreover, Poullikkas stated that the countries in the Southeastern Mediterranean, along with Cyprus, have the potential to pioneer the hydrogen economy, become climate-neutral, and serve as exporters of sustainable energy to the EU.
He suggested that this could be achieved through the development of a comprehensive long-term strategic plan extending beyond 2060.
Such a plan would take into account the connection of Southeastern Mediterranean countries with European nations through electrical interconnections, pipelines, and virtual pipelines for natural gas and hydrogen.
Additionally, it would involve the integration of sustainable energy technologies across all Southeastern Mediterranean countries and the use of hydrogen, produced initially from natural gas and gradually from renewable energy sources, after 2030.
Poullikkas’ speech shed light on the potential of the Southeastern Mediterranean region, particularly Cyprus, in driving the energy transition and reducing the EU’s dependence on Russian gas.
With a collaborative and forward-thinking approach, the region can establish itself as a hub for sustainable energy production, contributing to both its own economic growth and the broader European energy landscape.
Source: https://cyprus-mail.com/
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