Jurrien Van Der Horst, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sofia, visited the Asenov greenhouse nearby Sofia and Hydrogenera company and was impressed by the innovative use and possibilities of hydrogen for businesses in the agri-sector and other fields.
Asenov greenhouse constantly strives for innovations and sustainable production. It is a pioneer in the Bulgarian greenhouse sector using hydrogen in the heating system, which provides more efficiency and significantly lower energy cost.
‘It is a fine example of how hydrogen makes this business more competitive and lower greenhouse gas emissions which contributes to Bulgaria’s sustainability goals’, says Mr. van der Horst.
Burning hydrogen does not produce carbon dioxide, in contrast to burning fossil fuels, which does. Using it for heating significantly reduces carbon emissions and helps reach net zero.
A hydrogen-powered boiler has the significant benefit of being able to use natural gas up until hydrogen gas is available. This will make it possible for the entire country to strategically switch to the low-carbon option with hardly any disturbance to home heating.
In addition, electricity is more effective in heating homes than hydrogen. According to a 2021 study, green hydrogen has an efficiency of about 46% when used to heat a dwelling.
The innovative start-up company Hydrogenera (Green Innovation JSC), founded by Dragomir Ivanov, developed innovative technology for hydrogen production that is suitable and affordable for industrial and utility applications. This promising innovative Bulgarian company has big plans for Bulgaria and the countries in the region.
‘Both agriculture and hydrogen are among the key priorities in bilateral cooperation between the Netherlands and Bulgaria. The Netherlands Embassy in Sofia is committed to facilitating initiatives towards sustainable and resilient food production, green energy transition and innovative ecosystems in Bulgaria’, Mr. van der Horst informed.