Rusatom Overseas, a subsidiary of Russian state atomic corporation Rosatom, France’s Air Liquide, a leading industrial gas producer, and the Sakhalin region government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding stipulating the cooperation for a feasibility study that will explore the possibility of the development of low carbon hydrogen production in the Sakhalin region, Rosatom said in a press release.
The MOU is a first step in fostering the development of a hydrogen economy targeting applications in both the domestic and overseas markets. This will contribute to development of the low carbon industry in the Sakhalin region.
“We are delighted to explore this energy transition opportunity in cooperation with Rusatom Overseas and the Sakhalin region,” Air Liquide General Director in Russia Marilene Turcotte said. “This cooperation for decarbonised growth contributes to the objectives of the Sakhalin region to reach carbon neutrality by 2025. This is a first step and we are ready to contribute to an efficient and sustainable industry through Air Liquide’s unique technological know-how and innovative solutions to support the energy transition ambition of the Russian Federation”.
Rusatom Overseas President Evgeny Pakermanov noted that in the future, the creation of a complex for the production of low-carbon hydrogen on the island of Sakhalin opens up opportunities for its export to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. “We plan to receive the results of the technical and economic assessment of the project and the primary design documentation by the end of 2021, after which we will be able to make the most efficient decision on the volume of hydrogen production. It is expected that the production rate can range from 30 to 100 thousand tons per year,” he said.
Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko said his region is a unique sub-federal unit of Russia. “It is located completely on islands, has rich resource potential and successfully neighbors with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. All this creates special conditions for business development and gives advantages for the implementation of a number of investment projects. Today, the Sakhalin Region is becoming a platform for an experiment to achieve carbon neutrality,” he said. “We plan to launch new investment projects, which, among other things, will contribute to solving this problem. We will be glad to welcome Rosatom and Air Liquide as potential investors if they decide to implement this project on the island. The Government of the Sakhalin Region is doing a lot to improve the business climate in the region. We have minimized administrative barriers: we have reduced the time for issuing building permits, registering enterprises, registering real estate objects,” he said, adding that the signed memorandum confirms the Sakhalin Region’s readiness for close and mutually beneficial cooperation.
