BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 6. We must prioritize the acceleration of hydrogen utilization, Director of Trade and International Relations at Hydrogen Europe Maria Assumpcio Rojo Torrent said during the "Empowering and accelerating green transition: strategies for COP29 and for the Green World" panel at the 29th Baku Energy Forum, Trend reports.
According to her, Hydrogen Europe is determined to kick things into high gear when it comes to achieving worldwide carbon neutrality by harnessing the power of hydrogen.
"The European Union is actively progressing towards carbon neutrality, with hydrogen playing a key role in this effort," the director remarked.
She pointed out that the adoption of hydrogen technology has its fair share of hurdles, with financing being a major stumbling block.
"Pure hydrogen can accelerate Paris Agreement decarbonization ambitions. Steel, cement, maritime, and aviation, which use little electricity, might decarbonize. Decarbonizing these sectors is difficult due to their high energy needs and specialized production circumstances. Thus, hydrogen fuel is essential to minimizing carbon dioxide emissions,” stated Rojo Torrent.
Strategic funding, she said, is crucial to the effective rollout of hydrogen technologies.
"There can be endless delays in the shift to hydrogen unless there is significant investment and political backing. Governments and corporations must take swift action and invest in hydrogen energy if it is to become a viable option for achieving carbon neutrality. With hydrogen set to form its backbone, Europe is on the cusp of a new energy future," emphasized the company representative.
To note, more than 600 delegates are participating in the forum, which started on June 5. In addition to Azerbaijan, representatives from Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, the UK, Hungary, Georgia, Israel, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, Latvia, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, the UAE, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, the US, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, and Japan will also be present. This year, the forum features a record number of speakers - 81.
The forum's agenda includes critical energy issues for both Azerbaijan and the entire Caspian region. Key points on the agenda focus on reviewing and financing projects related to energy security, the energy transition, and green energy.
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