The adoption of the Hydrogen Roadmap, with a "green hydrogen" focus, will open up a highly promising innovative segment as well as a number of new investment opportunities.

Work is also underway on the project for the first Hydrogen Valley in Bulgaria, as our country strives to be one of the leaders on a global scale.

This was commented by the Minister of Innovation and Growth Alexander Pulev

Alexander Pulev was born on February 5, 1981 in Plovdiv.

He has a master's degree in finance from Oxford on the occasion of the adoption by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday (April 27) of Bulgaria's Hydrogen Roadmap, the ministry reports.

The document was prepared by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth (MIR) and aims to develop the country's potential in the field of hydrogen technologies, accelerate research and innovation in the sector, including the commercialization of hydrogen technologies.

The full name of the document is the National Roadmap for Improving the Conditions for Unfolding the Development Potential of Hydrogen Technologies and Mechanisms for Hydrogen Production and Supply for the Period 2023-2026.

One of the main objectives is to identify all key legislative reforms to harmonize all priority axes with the EU.

The step-by-step unlocking of the reforms can provide a resource from Europe of around BGN 3 billion in the coming years for the promotion of hydrogen technologies, according to experts' calculations.

The roadmap is the result of a number of consultations organized with external experts, members of the academic community, employer organizations and coordination with the European Commission.

It is adopted in the implementation of the Reform "Unfolding the potential of hydrogen technologies and the production and supply of hydrogen" in the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan (NRSP), as a key requirement for the third payment under the Plan.

The Hydrogen Valley project in Bulgaria is one of only 37 such in 20 countries and one of the 9 projects under the Horizon Europe Program for which the EC provides funding in the first call for project proposals in 2022. The project will be led by an international consortium.

The initial investment is EUR 30 million, of which EUR 8 million will be from MIR through the new scientific program and EUR 8 million - from the EC - under "Horizon Europe".

Its construction should start already in 2023.

Minister Pulev: The main priority of the cabinet is the attraction of foreign investments

Minister Pulev emphasized that there are about BGN 140 million for pilot projects with a focus on "green hydrogen" and biogas.

"Additional financial opportunities are also available under the new "Competitiveness" program at MIR, where you can apply for financing of hydrogen technologies under the procedures for development and implementation of innovations, which will be announced in the coming weeks and months," he added.

The national road map sets the path for building a hydrogen industry.

The purpose of the Roadmap is to create a basis for a coherent framework for the efficient, smooth and consistent introduction of technologies for the production, transportation and use of hydrogen in industry, energy, transport and household, to create favorable conditions for innovation and investment.

The sectors and stages will be defined to ensure the maximum effect on the commitments for a climate neutral economy, to create new value chains in relation to hydrogen, to strengthen the partnership at national, regional and European level.

Alexander Pulev

hydrogen technologies

Ministry of Innovation and Growth