One of the most interesting aspects of the energy transition is that it is increasingly moving beyond the simple replacement of fossil fuels with renewable electricity.

During the recent H2-diplo – Decarbonization Diplomacy study tour in Germany, Hydrogen Ukraine visited CAPHENIA – a company developing technologies that combine hydrogen, biomethane, CO₂ utilization, and synthetic fuel production within one integrated process.

The broader idea behind such projects is particularly important: instead of viewing CO₂ only as an emission, new industrial approaches are emerging that treat carbon as part of a circular value chain.

Using biomethane and electricity, these technologies can produce syngas, which can later become:

• sustainable aviation fuels
• marine fuels
• methanol
• synthetic transport fuels

This discussion is especially relevant for sectors where direct electrification remains extremely difficult, particularly aviation and parts of maritime transport.

For Ukraine, the topic is becoming increasingly practical rather than theoretical. Ukraine already has:

• a strong agricultural sector
• significant biomass potential
• growing renewable energy capacities
• operational biomethane projects

This creates opportunities not only for renewable gas production, but also for future integration into broader low-carbon fuel and hydrogen value chains.

One of the key takeaways from the visit is that future decarbonization pathways will likely combine multiple technologies simultaneously: renewable electricity, hydrogen, biomethane, CO₂ utilization, and synthetic fuels.

The future energy system therefore may look far more interconnected than traditional sector-by-sector approaches suggest.