Need for Greater Development of the Hydrogen Mobility Market

The need for faster development of the hydrogen network in transportation was highlighted by Manos Stamatakis, researcher at the Institute of Geoenergy – FORTH, during his presentation at the Hydrogen & Green Gases Forum.

Mr. Stamatakis emphasized that only limited steps have been taken at the national level toward practical implementation. However, he described the first hydrogen refueling stations and hydrogen valleys currently being developed in the country as significant milestones.

He particularly pointed out the challenges in the automotive sector, stressing the need to develop a sufficient network of hydrogen refueling stations, which, as he noted, will require substantial investment. “The main priority at this stage is market development rather than technology development,” he stated, underlining the need to bridge the gap between pilot projects and large-scale network deployment. “It will take at least 10 years for refueling stations to become widespread,” he added.

Furthermore, noting that the hydrogen strategy is now considered a given, he highlighted the significant reduction achieved in the cost of hydrogen-powered vehicles. He also mentioned that, at the European level, more than 800 stations are planned by 2025.

Finally, emphasizing the strong expertise of FORTH, he argued that Greece can realize significant benefits in employment as well as in the export of services through the development of the sector in the coming years.