A Hydrogen Testbed to Be Built in Ostrava. CEETe H₂ Will Link Research, Energy and Urban Transport
PRODUCING HYDROGEN IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP. IF IT IS TO BE USED MORE WIDELY, ITS STORAGE, DISTRIBUTION AND UTILISATION MUST ALSO BE ADDRESSED. THE CEETE H₂ RESEARCH TESTBED AT VSB – TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF OSTRAVA IS DESIGNED TO BRING THIS ENTIRE CHAIN TOGETHER UNDER REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS.
CEETE H₂ IS BEING DEVELOPED AS A PILOT HYDROGEN RESEARCH HUB FOR THE MORAVIAN-SILESIAN REGION. SUPPORT FROM THE JUST TRANSITION OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME, PROVIDED THROUGH THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL FUND OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC, WILL ENABLE THE CREATION OF A RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT COVERING THE ENTIRE HYDROGEN CHAIN, FROM PRODUCTION AND STORAGE TO DISTRIBUTION AND PRACTICAL USE. UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL LABORATORY RESEARCH, IT WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO TEST TECHNOLOGIES AND HOW THEY INTERACT UNDER CONDITIONS CLOSE TO REAL-WORLD OPERATION, WHILE GENERATING DATA FOR FURTHER RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF SOLUTIONS IN COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY.
Hydrogen comes with great expectations, but also questions about its cost, efficiency and suitable areas of use. Which of these should CEETe H2 help answer?
Stanislav Mišák: We do not see hydrogen technologies as a universal solution for transport, industry or energy. Hydrogen is one of the technologies that can play an important role where it makes technical, economic and environmental sense. And that is precisely what we want to verify at CEETe H2: the entire chain, from hydrogen production through storage and distribution to specific applications.
We want to obtain real-world data on efficiency, operational requirements, hydrogen quality and the long-term performance of the technologies. Only by linking all these elements can we objectively determine where hydrogen has a role to play and where another solution would be more appropriate. The purpose of research is not to prove that a particular technology is the right one, but to establish the conditions under which it can deliver benefits and be sustainable for society.
From Research to Buses on the Streets of Ostrava
Ostrava Public Transport Company is set to become an application and validation partner in the project, linking research with the real-world operation of urban public transport. It will provide researchers with the data needed to validate safety methodologies, digital models and predictive tools.
What role will Ostrava Public Transport Company play in the CEETe H2 project?
Martin Chovanec: Our role will not be limited to using the hydrogen infrastructure. Above all, we will help validate the research results under real-world operating conditions. Ostrava Public Transport Company can offer the project something that is difficult to recreate in a laboratory: real operational data, the experience of drivers, maintenance staff and dispatchers, and the opportunity to monitor the technology in the day-to-day operation of urban transport. We see this connection between research and real-world operation as the key value of our collaboration.
Can the experience gained from CEETe H2 help determine which types of urban transport are better suited to battery power and which to hydrogen?
Martin Chovanec: I do not think we should set hydrogen and battery-electric mobility against each other. Each technology has different characteristics, and its suitability depends on the availability and efficient use of energy resources, transport conditions and the time required to replenish energy. Real-world operation will allow us to monitor and compare these parameters over the long term. The results will also be intended for wider use by other operators. Our shared goal is for the experience gained in Ostrava to help others make better-informed decisions about the future development of clean mobility.
A Testbed to Show Where Hydrogen Makes Sense
CEETe H2 will not focus solely on transport. The infrastructure is intended to serve as an open environment for research, education and collaboration with companies and other partners. The operational data collected should help improve understanding of the entire hydrogen value chain and identify areas where its use can deliver genuine benefits.
How will you know whether the project has truly achieved its purpose?
Stanislav Mišák: For me, the success of the project will not lie simply in having built new infrastructure. It will be measured by whether that infrastructure enables us to generate knowledge and technologies that can be applied in practice, while also providing inspiration for other potential operators of hydrogen technologies. CEETe H2 will be a living laboratory connecting research with real-world operation, industry and the public sector.
If the data we obtain enables us to improve the safety and efficiency of hydrogen technologies, identify ways to reduce their costs, help companies validate new solutions, and objectively determine where hydrogen does and does not make sense, then the project will have fulfilled its purpose.