Cluj Napoca city is about to welcome the construction of Romania's first hydrogen energy production facility. This project, with a total investment of 71 million lei (approximately 14.3 million euros), mainly relies on EU funding support and is planned to be put into operation from the end of 2026 to the beginning of 2027. The project is led by Professor Bogdan Varga's team at Kluge Technical University and is expected to produce 1024 kilograms of green hydrogen per day after completion.

According to the project team, the factory location has been determined to be within the parking lot of the Kluge Napoca Public Transport Company, and the relevant power access permit has been approved. The project adopts electrolytic water hydrogen production technology and will be equipped with a complete hydrogen energy production and transmission system. Professor Valga stated that it is expected to take 18 months from the signing of the construction contract to the project's commissioning.

After the hydrogen energy facility is put into operation, its products will mainly serve three aspects: firstly, supplying the hydrogen energy bus fleet planned to be purchased by the municipal government; The second is to provide clean heat sources for regional heating companies; Thirdly, it is aimed at private hydrogen fuel vehicle users. As a comparison, although Galati City also has similar plans for hydrogen powered public transportation and steel plant integration projects, they are still in the early stages of preparation.

It is worth noting that the city of Cluj Napoca has taken the lead in hydrogen energy applications nationwide. The city has been conducting actual road tests of hydrogen powered buses since spring 2024. According to the plan, the city's public transportation system will add 40 pure electric buses and 40 hydrogen powered buses. The first batch of orders includes 31 electric buses and 25 hydrogen powered buses.

In addition, Kluge University of Technology is deeply involved in the "Romanian Hydrogen Hub" national project with a total investment of 130 million euros. The project focuses on researching the application of hydrogen energy in the transportation field, hydrogen energy production technology, and storage solutions. As a participant in the project, the university is mainly responsible for technology research and development, while the government of Cluj Napoca will be the direct beneficiary of the project results.