Energy Agency of KSSENA Launch Investment Project
An investment project for deploying a replicable, balanced and integrated hydrogen economy is being developed by a consortium of regional partners led by the energy agency of Savinjska, Šaleška and Koroška (KSSENA).
Energy Agency KSSENA was established in 2006 within the framework of Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE). Its founders are the Municipality of Velenje (MOV), Municipality of Celje (MOC), Municipality of Slovenj Gradec (MOSG) and Public Utility Company Velenje (KPV).
Purpose and goals of KSSENA’s activities:
- Reduction of costs and energy use with emphasis on the public sector
- Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Development and implementation of innovative products and services
- Development and implementation of pilot or demonstrative projects
- Obtainment of non-refundable funds
- Facilitation of inflow of capital for investment projects
- Improvement in behaviour patterns and attitude of general and expert public towards energy efficiency issues
- Counseling and guidance on energy efficiency
- Development of energy audits and energy performance certificates
KSSENA is encouraging promotion and implementation of measures in fields of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and sustainable urban transport. The organisation bases its operation on following the pertinent and topical targets of national and European energy policy for the benefit of socio-economic and environmental inclusive development, particularly on the local level.
They are one of the best agencies in Europe that is developing hydrogen energy nowadays.
New hydrogen economy growing in Slovenia
The main goal is to make use of available green hydrogen to reducing GHG emissions and other negative environmental impacts of energy and transport.
In the first phase, the investment project shall include the upgrade of local hydrogen production and storage facilitates, the construction of a hydrogen refueling station and the modernisation and expansion of the existing public transport service with fuel cell electric vehicles.
The project is key to achieve the strategic development targets of the Republic of Slovenia as declared in the National Energy and Climate Plan, in conjunction with the strategy and action plan on facilitating the establishment of alternative fuels infrastructure.
It represents one of the essential pillars on which the transition of the coal intensive region of Savinjsko-Šaleška will be carried out and is designed to facilitate the highest possible utilisation of available resources, both in terms of energy infrastructure, renewable energy as well as knowledge and experience of the employees currently active in the coal-based energy sector, following the ambitions of the Just Transition Mechanism.
Project brings together key local and national organisations
The project brings together key local and national organisations including the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant that, with a third of all electricity produced in Slovenia, represents a quintessential pillar of the national electricity grid and is planned to discontinue coal-fired electricity production.
The power plant is a subsidiary of the Holding of Slovenian Power Plants which is the largest producer of renewable energy in Slovenia and faces increasing difficulty in managing excesses of renewable energy produced by the group.
Therefore, the production of green hydrogen paving the way for additional investment into hydrogen technologies in the years up to 2030 is seen by the company as an applicable business model over the medium to long-term horizon.
The strategic focus of the project is to provide hydrogen refueling capability to the Mediterranean Core network corridor by placing the station nearby the planned route F2-2 connecting the lower part of the Savinjska valley with Koroška and beyond.
Byline: Petra Čotić
