“All this has been quite expensive so far, but we believe that just like with the renewable energy
sources, prices will go down over time, which will determine the pace of hydrogen adoption,” Novak
told the British daily The Guardian.
“To put it briefly, we can produce hydrogen and use it, as well as deliver it to consumers. We can also
export the hydrogen production technologies.”
At the same time, Russia had no intention of reducing hydrocarbon production, Novak said. It would
place its emphasis on gas as, according to ministry estimates, consumption of gas would rise in the near
future, notwithstanding plans by European countries to reduce their carbon footprint.
To achieve this, the minister said, Russia had to develop technology on carbon dioxide capture.
“I believe natural gas to be an eco-friendly energy source,” Novak told the daily. “We believe that the
share of natural gas in the global energy mix will only increase. We believe this to apply not only to
Europe, but globally too.”
Novak said that by 2035 Russia could boost annual gas production to 1 trillion cubic metres. At the
same time, he said, exports of LNG would also grow more than fourfold – to 120-140 million tonnes a
year from current levels of 29 million tonnes. Shipments of gas by pipeline would also remain at high
levels.
