Transgaz and Kawasaki Heavy Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Tokyo during the 4th edition of the Romania-Japan Innovation Forum, establishing a framework for strategic cooperation in the field of hydrogen, related energy infrastructure and the development of joint Romania-Japan projects.
The MoU was signed in the presence of government officials from Romania and Japan. On behalf of Transgaz, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the company’s Director General, Ion Sterian, and on behalf of KHI by Motohiko Nishimura, President of the Energy and Marine Solutions Company at Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
On the occasion of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, Ion Sterian, Director General of SNTGN Transgaz SA, stated: “As the operator of the National Natural Gas Transmission System (NTS) and a member of the European Hydrogen Backbone, TRANSGAZ is focused on the potential for integrating hydrogen from renewable, low-carbon sources into the natural gas transmission system, with a view to its alignment with the provisions of the European Union’s Hydrogen Strategy.
The NTS development plan for the next ten years includes projects worth over EUR 4.9 billion for hydrogen transmission by repurposing the natural gas transmission infrastructure to transport hydrogen blended with natural gas, in accordance with European regulations. The expansion of Transgaz’ research activities regarding the feasibility of integrating a hydrogen blend into the NTS and methods for introducing it into the NTS, as well as the adaptation and upgrading of existing natural gas transmission infrastructure for the use of hydrogen and other green gases, are priority objectives of the company’s climate and decarbonization strategy.
The pilot project for hydrogen injection into natural gas transmission pipelines, known as ROHYD (short for Romania and Hydrogen), is being carried out—from the concept, design, and implementation phases—by Transgaz’ specialists and aims to determine the implications of transporting a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen by the national transmission system (NTS). By signing this MoU, both Transgaz and Kawasaki Heavy Industries aim to implement Transgaz’ concept for the large-scale transmission of gas hydrogen via onshore pipelines using KHI’s centrifugal hydrogen compressor in a safe, closed-loop system. This cooperation, supported by both the Romanian and Japanese governments—and estimated at EUR 21 million based on the equipment and technologies involved, as well as the research and testing activities to be conducted— will enable the two companies to carry out a demonstration project to test the hydrogen compressor technology developed by KHI, along with the installation of an electrolyzer that will also be used in Transgaz’ ROHYD project, dedicated to studying the mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. The next step following the signing of this memorandum will be to conclude a Project Agreement with our KHI partners, in which we will establish the location, the responsibilities of each party, and the schedule of activities.
The technology to be demonstrated uses a new-generation centrifugal compressor— a world first designed to address these challenges—and is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of onshore hydrogen transmission. The results expected from the operational and research phase will contribute to substantiating industry standards and regulations, both nationally and internationally. The cooperation with the industrial group Kawasaki provides us with access to cutting-edge technology, and we believe that the experience gained through this initiative will strengthen Transgaz’ expertise and contribute to the development of an appropriate technical and legislative framework for hydrogen transmission, to the decarbonization of the national energy sector, to strengthening Transgaz’ role in the energy transition of Romania and the region, and to increasing national, regional, and European energy security.
We intend to become a gateway to EU for Kawasaki and the other companies we will be collaborating with, in order for them to set up production facilities in Romania. I am referring strictly to Kawasaki now, the compressor part. The results of this collaboration will lead to the construction of one of the largest European and possibly world-wide research centres in the field of hydrogen, which will include, additionally to the transmission and distribution of hydrogen, a wide range of industrial sectors such as: the ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy sector, petrochemicals, products for the chemical fertilizer industry, refinery products, with a significant impact on reducing CO2 emissions”