The jubilee of a scientist is always an event that transcends personal celebration. It is a moment when the scientific community can look back, evaluate the path taken, comprehend the significance of the honoree’s work, and outline future perspectives. In the case of Ahmed Myradovich Pendzhiev, we are dealing with a personality whose life and activity have become a symbol of the union of science and practice, engineering thought and agro-technical intuition, national tradition and international recognition.

His 70th anniversary is not merely a date; it is a milestone that allows us to see how ideas born in the laboratories and greenhouses of Turkmenistan have evolved into concepts that entered international scientific discourse. His biography remarkably intertwines engineering developments, agro-technical experiments, pedagogical activity, and public recognition.

The jubilee is also a symbol of the connection between past and future. His life is a bridge between the era of Soviet science and the contemporary world of global challenges. His works are a bridge between fundamental research and practical solutions. His personality is a bridge between senior generations of scientists and young researchers.

To understand the significance of the jubilee, one must turn to the philosophy of time. Time in the life of a scientist is not only the years lived in work and research, but also the epochs he embodies. Pendzhiev began his career in the 1970s, when the Soviet Union actively developed programs for renewable energy. At that time, there was no global agenda of sustainable development, no slogans of a «green economy», yet there were already enthusiasts who saw in the sun, wind, and geothermal sources the future of energy.

The jubilee is the moment when the personal time of a scientist becomes part of the time of science. Pendzhiev’s research began in an era when renewable energy was still a marginal topic. Today it has become central to global policy. Thus, his personal time has been synchronized with world time.

The symbolism of the desert, where Pendzhiev worked, is of particular importance. The Karakum Desert is a space where life seems impossible, where the energy of nature manifests itself in extreme forms. Yet it was precisely the desert that became the laboratory of his ideas.

The desert is a metaphor of challenge. It demands inventiveness, perseverance, and the ability to see opportunities where others see only obstacles. Pendzhiev managed to turn the desert into a source of energy, into a space of experiment, into a symbol of sustainable development.

The energy of the desert became a metaphor for the energy of science. It demonstrates that even in the most difficult conditions one can find a source of strength, inspiration, and future.

In today’s world, one of the central challenges is to create a reliable and sustainable energy system that can meet the needs of remote and hard-to-reach regions. Russia’s unique feature is its vast territories with harsh climatic conditions, such as the Arctic and other northern regions, where securing energy resources presents a significant challenge. Until now, traditional fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal have been the primary source of energy, often transported from distant locations. However, the high cost of transportation and environmental impact have raised concerns about the need for alternative solutions. The article is devoted to the actual problem of energy supply in remote and Arctic territories, which are traditionally dependent on expensive imported fuel for the operation of energy facilities. The study examines the possibility of transition to local intelligent energy systems that operate autonomously. The purpose of the study is to assess the role of hydrogen as a key element for stabilizing and accumulating energy in conditions of stochastic generation of renewable energy. The article analyzes the features of the functioning of solar and wind power plants in conditions of stochastic electricity generation. Despite the high wind potential of the Arctic region (average speeds exceed the minimum permissible speeds of 5-6 m/s) and the presence of solar insolation, their instability and intermittency require the creation of energy stabilization and storage systems. Static methods, such as the two-parameter Weibull distribution, are used to assess the wind energy potential. This method allows for the prediction of wind energy production and the determination of the specific power of the wind flow. The article discusses two concepts for creating a local smart energy system based on hydrogen fuel using the Power-to-Gas principle.

Hydrogen fuel produced by electrolysis using renewable energy sources acts as a universal energy carrier. To assess the effectiveness of the LIES, the article provides a comparative analysis of electrolysis technologies, highlighting their advantages and applicability. Two fundamental schemes for the operation of the LIES are explored using mathematical modeling. The first scheme involves hybrid generation of electricity from renewable sources, with some of the electricity being used to produce hydrogen, which is then burned in a gas turbine. The second scheme is one in which all the energy from renewable sources is used to generate hydrogen for combustion in a gas turbine plant. The simulation was performed using the AC GRET software package, using the NK-16 gas turbine as an example, which has been adapted to run on hydrogen fuel. The required renewable energy capacity for each scheme, as well as the operating characteristics of the gas turbine, have been determined.

The integration of hydrogen technologies with renewable energy sources and gas turbine plants is a promising and economically viable solution for creating sustainable, autonomous, and low-carbon energy systems in the Arctic and isolated territories. The implementation of local hydrogen-powered smart energy systems will reduce dependence on expensive imported fuel, minimize harmful emissions, and ensure reliable energy supply to remote facilities.

Biohydrogen, a promising biofuel, has several key advantages, including zero carbon emissions, environmental sustainability, and high energy efficiency. [NiFe]- and [FeFe]-hydrogenases play a pivotal role in the light-independent production of biohydrogen from biomass using microorganisms. Despite significant progress, there are still numerous challenges that hinder large-scale industrial implementation of this technology. In this review, we provide a detailed analysis of the structural features, abundance, and catalytic mechanisms of key microorganisms used in dark fermentation bioreactors and bioelectrochemical systems. We also examine advanced strategies for enhancing enzyme activity, such as genetic engineering approaches and innovative performance evaluation techniques. Furthermore, we explore the underlying mechanisms responsible for increased hydrogen gas production, including electron transfer, biomass growth, and the synthesis of ferredoxin. The review concludes by emphasizing promising research directions, especially the integration of artificial intelligence into highly efficient biohydrogen production systems, which could significantly accelerate progress in this field.

The production and accumulation of food waste is growing annually, posing a threat to humanity and the environment. Food waste is also a potential renewable source for producing green hydrogen through dark fermentation (DF). Recent studies on DF intensification have demonstrated the high potential of the process, comparable in efficiency to electrolysis. However, despite the efficiency of the DF process, one of the obstacles to its implementation is the significant (up to 94%) carbon dioxide (CO₂) content in hydrogen-containing biogas. Therefore, for further use of biohydrogen, it must be purified from CO₂. This article demonstrates that the use of a chemical adsorbent is most suitable for purifying hydrogen-containing biogas. However, this method needs to be improved through the application of green chemistry principles, with the possibility of further use of the improved purification method within the framework of a circular economy. The objective of this study was to develop a concept for the electrochemical conditioning of biohydrogen obtained through DF using the principles of a circular economy and green chemistry. The concept involves purifying biohydrogen while reducing CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere using an intermediate carrier of carbon dioxide for subsequent utilization in a photobioreactor. A material balance was developed based on the process chemistry. A pilot plant was designed to experimentally validate the feasibility of biogas conditioning according to the presented concept. The average CO₂ removal rate was 68%, with a biohydrogen content of 84.9% after electrochemical conditioning. The obtained data indicate the feasibility of using the developed system for purifying biohydrogen obtained during dark fermentation. However, modernization and optimization of individual system components is required, which is planned for future research.

The article presents the results of Russia’s first industrial test of a hydrogen power supply system for remote low-power consumers, using the example of IT infrastructure facilities. The system includes an electrolysis unit with a capacity of 0,5 Nm³/h, a LaNi5-based metal hydride storage system, and a 4 kW electrochemical generator. The total cost of ownership comparison between the hydrogen system and a diesel generator set takes into account the logistics costs of delivering diesel fuel, climate constraints, equipment reliability, and maintenance requirements. The analysis results show that hydrogen technologies can already be economically competitive compared to diesel generators. The identified climate and transportation risks are compensated by the equipment’s climate adaptation and the reinforced design of the mini-container. The conducted tests confirmed the equipment’s stated technical parameters, including the electrolyzer’s performance, storage system characteristics, and power output. The economic assessment showed that the direct costs of hydrogen production are about $2,3/kg, which corresponds to the cost of generation of ~$0,15/kWh, whereas diesel generators require about $0,7/kWh. The total cost of ownership analysis for backup power supply of communication towers also revealed the advantage of the hydrogen complex over the diesel one. The presented results demonstrate the technological readiness of hydrogen power plants for industrial application and their potential for scaling on autonomous and hard-to-reach sites.