Recently, I had an interesting discussion with someone who was looking for a new use for an unused site.
He had space available.
He had an idea for producing energy from photovoltaics.
And he was also considering hydrogen production and storage.
At first glance, it sounded like the beginning of an interesting hydrogen project.
Nevertheless, my first question was:
👉 Who will be your customer?
And this is precisely where the discussion paused for a moment.
I often encounter situations where the discussion about hydrogen starts with the technology.
We will have photovoltaics.
We will have an electrolyser.
We will produce hydrogen.
But in my view, that is not enough.
Because even before selecting the technology, we need to know:
- who will use the hydrogen,
- how much they will need,
- how regular the offtake will be,
- and what price they will be willing to pay.
Only when we know the future customers does it make sense to start designing the project itself.
Perhaps it will be transport.
Perhaps industry.
Perhaps agriculture.
Perhaps a combination of several different offtakers.
Each of these options requires a different amount of hydrogen, different infrastructure and often a different production method.
During the discussion, we also came to the question of production.
If the project is based solely on photovoltaics and an electrolyser, production depends on the weather and the availability of energy.
That in itself does not necessarily have to be a problem.
But it needs to be taken into account when designing the economics of the project.
That is why I am convinced that the future will not be based on only one technology.
👉 The key will be a suitably designed technology mix.
One that makes it possible to combine different energy sources and different hydrogen production methods according to local conditions.
And this is where another important question arises.
What resources do we have available in the surrounding area?
Not only sun or wind.
But also other inputs that can be used for hydrogen production.
Every region has different possibilities.
And every successful project should be based precisely on them.
The longer I work with hydrogen projects, the more one thing is confirmed for me:
A hydrogen project does not start with an electrolyser.
Nor does it start with production technology.
👉 It starts with understanding the needs of the future customer.
Only then does it make sense to look for the right technology, the right project size and the right resources.
I focus on the development of hydrogen projects and infrastructure strategies in a European context.
Customer first. Technology second. Not the other way around.
Kristýna Váchalová
Hydrogen Business Development