Russia's Industry Ministry to help establish hydrogen cluster on Sakhalin
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK. Jan 10 (Interfax) - Russia's Industry and Trade Ministry will support a project to create a hydrogen cluster on Sakhalin Island and an oil and gas industrial park being built in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the Sakhalin regional government's press service reported on Wednesday, citing an agreement reached by Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov and Governor Valery Limarenko.
"The hydrogen cluster will make it possible to ensure the technological sovereignty of the Russian Federation in the area of hydrogen and low-carbon technologies, scale these technologies, and export hydrogen and associated products to countries in the Asia-Pacific region," Manturov was quoted as saying.
Sakhalin Region can count on the Industry Ministry's support to implement this project, he said.
Limarenko noted the importance of the oil and gas industrial park being built in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, which is expected to host six resident businesses in this sector.
"Given the importance of ensuring the technological sovereignty of Russia's oil and gas sector, Manturov supported including the facility in the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry's registry of industrial parks," the press release said.
The press service recalled that the Eastern Hydrogen Cluster will be established on Sakhalin Island. Its creation was supported by state corporation Rosatom, JSC RAOS, Gazprom and the Far East Development Ministry with cooperation agreements signed with the government of Sakhalin Region.
The goal of the cluster is to create a new hydrogen energy industry in the region that will export hydrogen, develop full-cycle hydrogen technologies and promote their domestic use in the energy, transport and utilities sectors.
There are plans to carry out three pilot projects within the context of the cluster. The first involves building an export-oriented hydrogen plant that will produce hydrogen through steam-methane reforming. The first phase of the plant, with capacity to produce 30,000 tonnes per year, is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2026 and there are plans to expand production to 100,000 tonnes in 2030.
The second project involves establishing passenger train services with trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells and systems to support their operation. The third project will be to set up a hydrogen engineering center with a proving ground to test domestic equipment in the real sector of Sakhalin Region's economy.