Strong interest in the course "Hydrogen Transport and Energy"
The training organized by IEES-BAS with the support of CC HITMOBIL attracts considerable participant interest.
The fourth training course in the series organized by IEES-BAS under the Green Skills for Hydrogen project, supported by CC HITMOBIL, was dedicated to "Hydrogen Transport and Energy". Held in a hybrid format during the week of 17–21 November 2025, the course attracted more than 80 participants. The audience showed remarkable diversity, including students and PhD candidates, university and school teachers, researchers from BAS institutes, as well as representatives of government institutions, professional associations, and both public and private companies in various positions.
The training opened with a welcome address by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Plamen Nikolov, Director of IEES-BAS, to both onsite and online participants.
The theoretical module was delivered by a team of experts: Corr. Member Prof. Evelina Slavcheva, Prof. Daria Vladikova, Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Burdin, Denis Paskalev (IEES-BAS), and Assoc. Prof. Borislav Traykov (TU-Sofia). Through a series of lectures, the entire hydrogen value chain was presented – from production and storage to transportation and application. Participants were introduced to hydrogen solutions for transport, engineering challenges across different vehicle types, techno-economic indicators, and safety requirements. The integration of hydrogen systems into electric grids was addressed, along with key aspects of the hydrogen economy, including current European initiatives and the regulatory framework in the EU and Bulgaria. Each lecture was followed by active discussions – both on the specific technological topics and on broader issues related to the future energy supply of the country.
The practical module, divided into two group sessions, was attended by both onsite and online participants of the theoretical part of the course. Despite the unfavorable weather conditions during the three days of field activities, attendees spent nearly two hours outdoors to explore the facilities of the Field Laboratory “Integrated Energy Systems” at CC HITMOBIL. There, they gained hands-on insight into the operation and maintenance of real hydrogen infrastructure, including a renewable-powered electrolyzer, a hydrogen charging station, and hydrogen vehicles.
The second part of the practical training involved visits to laboratories of CC HITMOBIL at IEES-BAS, where researchers demonstrated experimental and analytical studies related to material characterization, testing of hydrogen converters, and the development of innovative hydrogen generators, compressors, fuel cells, and other electrochemical systems.
