Bulgaria will build a Centre of Excellence in Hydrogen Technologies (H2START) project in the city of Stara Zagora, which will be funded with €15mn grant from the European Commission, the Ministry of Energy said in a statement on its website.

“Stara Zagora will become one of the two hydrogen valleys in Europe. It will produce 500 tonnes of hydrogen annually,” EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva said in a video statement during the official launch ceremony.

The project will be carried out by the Trakia University in Stara Zagora, the Bulgarian Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Energy Storage Association (BGH2A), the Polytechnic University of Turin (POLITO) and the Italian Institute for Advanced Energy Technologies Nicola Giordano (CNR ITAE).

“With its climate potential of 1,400-1,800 hours of sun a year, Bulgaria has excellent conditions for competitive production of green hydrogen, which is a key element of the transition to clean energy,” Bulgaria’s Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said during the ceremony as quoted in the statement.

The Centre of Excellence in Stara Zagora will give room to novel research and innovation ecosystem, aiming to develop innovative technologies for renewable hydrogen production. The centre will have state-of-the-art laboratories for hydrogen technologies and will support the development of highly qualified personnel, while also securing opportunities for scientific and industrial partnerships.

In addition to production, Bulgaria has excellent conditions for transporting green hydrogen through the available infrastructure, according to Stankov.

He added that in the following years Bulgaria could become one of the main exporters of green hydrogen in Europe. The Danube could be a natural route for this.

One of the nine hydrogen valleys in Europe, Stara Zagora has a significant technological potential for the production of 500 tonnes per year (tpy) green hydrogen.