Competitiveness of Alternative Fuels Production Based on Slovak Hydrogen Strategy

This paper provides comparison of alternative fuel production in the context of the European Union's 2030 decarbonisation goals. Six hydrogen production alternatives, including electrolysis and biogas reforming, alongside three criteria such as carbon footprint, levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and maturity of technology, were evaluated and the most promising methods were identified. Results indicate that alkaline (AEL) and proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, as well as biogas autothermal reforming (BAR), are feasible alternatives. However, challenges such as high levelized cost of sustainable aviation fuel and the need for infrastructure development highlight the complexity of transitioning to sustainable fuel sources. While Ukraine and Hungary emerge as favourable locations for alternative fuel production due to low utility prices, Slovakia's competitiveness is less pronounced. The study emphasises the importance of EU support and suggests prioritising hydrogen infrastructure development over production in certain contexts.