Australia
Sensing Hydrogen Seeps in the Subsurface for Natural Hydrogen Exploration
Jun 2022
Publication
The recent detection of natural hydrogen seeps in sedimentary basin settings has triggered significant interest in the exploration of this promising resource. If large economical resources exist and can be extracted from the sub-surface this would provide an opportunity for natural hydrogen to contribute to the non-carbon-based energy mix. The detection and exploration of hydrogen gas in the sub-surface is a significant challenge that requires costly drilling sophisticated instrumentation and reliable analytical/sampling methods. Here we propose the application of a commercial-based sensor that can be used to detect and monitor low levels of hydrogen gas emissions from geological environments. The sensitivity selectivity (K > 1000) and stability (<1 ppm/day) of the sensor was evaluated under various conditions to determine its suitability for geological field monitoring. Calibration tests showed that the hydrogen readings from the sensor were within ±20% of the expected values. We propose that chemical sensing is a simple and feasible method for understanding natural hydrogen seeps that emanate from geological systems and formations. However we recommend using this sensor as part of a complete geological survey that incorporates an understanding of the geology along with complementary techniques that provide information on the rock properties.
Optimising Renewable Generation Configurations of Off-grid Green Ammonia Production System Considering Haber-Bosch Flexibility
Feb 2023
Publication
Green ammonia has received increasing interest for its potential as an energy carrier in the international trade of renewable power. This paper considers the factors that contribute to producing cost-competitive green ammonia from an exporter’s perspective. These factors include renewable resource quality across potential sites operating modes for off-grid plants and seasonal complementarity with trade buyers. The study applies a mixed-integer programming model and uses Australia as a case study because of its excellent solar and wind resources and the potential for synergy between Southern Hemisphere supply and Northern Hemisphere demand. Although renewable resources are unevenly distributed across Australia and present distinct diurnal and seasonal variability modelling shows that most of the pre-identified hydrogen hubs in each state and territory of Australia can produce cost-competitive green ammonia providing the electrolysis and Haber-Bosch processes are partially flexible to cope with the variability of renewables. Flexible operation reduces energy curtailment and leads to lower storage capacity requirements using batteries or hydrogen storage which would otherwise increase system costs. In addition an optimised combination of wind and solar can reduce the magnitude of storage required. Providing that a partially flexible Haber Bosch plant is commercially available the modelling shows a levelised cost of ammonia (LCOA) of AU$756/tonne and AU$659/tonne in 2025 and 2030 respectively. Based on these results green ammonia would be cost-competitive with grey ammonia in 2030 given a feedstock natural gas price higher than AU$14/MBtu. For green ammonia to be cost-competitive with grey ammonia assuming a lower gas price of AU$6/MBtu a carbon price would need to be in place of at least AU$123/tonne. Given that there is a greater demand for energy in winter concurrent with lower solar power production there may be opportunities for solar-based Southern Hemisphere suppliers to supply the major industrial regions most of which are located in the Northern Hemisphere.
Biohydrogen—A Green Fuel for Sustainable Energy Solutions
Oct 2022
Publication
Energy plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of modern nations. Today hydrogen is considered the most promising alternative fuel as it can be generated from clean and green sources. Moreover it is an efficient energy carrier because hydrogen burning only generates water as a byproduct. Currently it is generated from natural gas. However it can be produced using other methods i.e. physicochemical thermal and biological. The biological method is considered more environmentally friendly and pollution free. This paper aims to provide an updated review of biohydrogen production via photofermentation dark fermentation and microbial electrolysis cells using different waste materials as feedstocks. Besides the role of nanotechnology in enhancing biohydrogen production is examined. Under anaerobic conditions hydrogen is produced during the conversion of organic substrate into organic acids using fermentative bacteria and during the conversion of organic acids into hydrogen and carbon dioxide using photofermentative bacteria. Different factors that enhance the biohydrogen production of these organisms either combined or sequentially using dark and photofermentation processes are examined and the effect of each factor on biohydrogen production efficiency is reported. A comparison of hydrogen production efficiency between dark fermentation photofermentation and two-stage processes is also presented.
Prospect of Green Hydrogen Generation from Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources: A Review
Feb 2023
Publication
Hydrogen is one of the prospective clean energies that could potentially address two pressing areas of global concern namely energy crises and environmental issues. Nowadays fossil‐ based technologies are widely used to produce hydrogen and release higher greenhouse gas emis‐ sions during the process. Decarbonizing the planet has been one of the major goals in the recent decades. To achieve this goal it is necessary to find clean sustainable and reliable hydrogen pro‐ duction technologies with low costs and zero emissions. Therefore this study aims to analyse the hydrogen generation from solar and wind energy sources and observe broad prospects with hybrid renewable energy sources in producing green hydrogen. The study mainly focuses on the critical assessment of solar wind and hybrid‐powered electrolysis technologies in producing hydrogen. Furthermore the key challenges and opportunities associated with commercial‐scale deployment are addressed. Finally the potential applications and their scopes are discussed to analyse the important barriers to the overall commercial development of solar‐wind‐based hydrogen production systems. The study found that the production of hydrogen appears to be the best candidate to be employed for multiple purposes blending the roles of fuel energy carrier and energy storage modality. Further studies are recommended to find technical and sustainable solutions to overcome the current issues that are identified in this study.
A Review of Hydrogen Direct Injection for Internal Combustion Engines: Towards Carbon-Free Combustion
Nov 2018
Publication
A paradigm shift towards the utilization of carbon-neutral and low emission fuels is necessary in the internal combustion engine industry to fulfil the carbon emission goals and future legislation requirements in many countries. Hydrogen as an energy carrier and main fuel is a promising option due to its carbon-free content wide flammability limits and fast flame speeds. For spark-ignited internal combustion engines utilizing hydrogen direct injection has been proven to achieve high engine power output and efficiency with low emissions. This review provides an overview of the current development and understanding of hydrogen use in internal combustion engines that are usually spark ignited under various engine operation modes and strategies. This paper then proceeds to outline the gaps in current knowledge along with better potential strategies and technologies that could be adopted for hydrogen direct injection in the context of compression-ignition engine applications—topics that have not yet been extensively explored to date with hydrogen but have shown advantages with compressed natural gas.
Integrating a Top-Gas Recycling and CO2 Electrolysis Process for H2-Rich Gas Injection and Reduce CO2 Emissions from an Ironmaking Blast Furnace
Mar 2022
Publication
Introducing CO2 electrochemical conversion technology to the iron-making blast furnace not only reduces CO2 emissions but also produces H2 as a byproduct that can be used as an auxiliary reductant to further decrease carbon consumption and emissions. With adequate H2 supply to the blast furnace the injection of H2 is limited because of the disadvantageous thermodynamic characteristics of the H2 reduction reaction in the blast furnace. This paper presents thermodynamic analysis of H2 behaviour at different stages with the thermal requirement consideration of an iron-making blast furnace. The effect of injecting CO2 lean top gas and CO2 conversion products H2–CO gas through the raceway and/or shaft tuyeres are investigated under different operating conditions. H2 utilisation efficiency and corresponding injection volume are studied by considering different reduction stages. The relationship between H2 injection and coke rate is established. Injecting 7.9–10.9 m3/tHM of H2 saved 1 kg/tHM coke rate depending on injection position. Compared with the traditional blast furnace injecting 80 m3/tHM of H2 with a medium oxygen enrichment rate (9%) and integrating CO2 capture and conversion reduces CO2 emissions from 534 to 278 m3/tHM. However increasing the hydrogen injection amount causes this iron-making process to consume more energy than a traditional blast furnace does.
Net Zero and Geospheric Return: Actions Today for 2030 and Beyond
Sep 2020
Publication
In a report co-authored by Columbia University’s Centre on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) and the Global CCS Institute titled ‘Net Zero and Geospheric Return: Actions today for 2030’ findings reveal that climate finance policies and the development of carbon dioxide removal technologies need to grow rapidly within the next 10 years in order to curb climate change and hit net-zero targets.
The report unveils key climate actions required to avoid climate catastrophe:
With 2020 set to close the hottest decade on record CO2 emissions need to drop by 50% to achieve net-zero climate goals by 2030 The rapid deployment of climate mitigating infrastructure needs to occur including the expansion of CO2 pipelines from the current 8000 km to 43000 km by 2030 Clear climate polices which reduce the financial and regulatory risk of CO2 capture and storage and increase CO2 storage options need to be quickly developed and implemented.
Link to document on Global CCS Institute Website
The report unveils key climate actions required to avoid climate catastrophe:
With 2020 set to close the hottest decade on record CO2 emissions need to drop by 50% to achieve net-zero climate goals by 2030 The rapid deployment of climate mitigating infrastructure needs to occur including the expansion of CO2 pipelines from the current 8000 km to 43000 km by 2030 Clear climate polices which reduce the financial and regulatory risk of CO2 capture and storage and increase CO2 storage options need to be quickly developed and implemented.
Link to document on Global CCS Institute Website
Techno-economic Assessment of a Hydrogen-based Islanded Microgrid in North-east
Feb 2023
Publication
Currently renewable energy-based generators are considered worldwide to achieve net zero targets. However the stochastic nature of renewable energy systems leads to regulation and control challenges for power system operators especially in remote and regional grids with smaller footprints. A hybrid system (i.e. solar wind biomass energy storage) could minimise this issue. Nevertheless the hybrid system is not possible to develop in many islands due to the limited land area geographical conditions and others. Hydrogen as a carrier of clean energy can be used in locations where the installation of extensive or medium-scale renewable energy facilities is not permissible due to population density geographical constraints government policies and regulatory issues. This paper presents a techno-economic assessment of designing a green hydrogen-based microgrid for a remote island in North-east Australia. This research work determines the optimal sizing of microgrid components using green hydrogen technology. Due to the abovementioned constraints the green hydrogen production system and the microgrid proposed in this paper are located on two separate islands. The paper demonstrates three cost-effective scenarios for green hydrogen production transportation and electricity generation. This work has been done using Hybrid Optimisation Model for Multiple Energy Resources or HOMER Pro simulation platform. Simulation results show that the Levelized Cost of Energy using hydrogen technology can vary from AU$0.37/kWh to AU$1.08/kWh depending on the scenarios and the variation of key parameters. This offers the potential to provide lower-cost electricity to the remote community. Furthermore the CO2 emission could be reduced by 1760777 kg/year if the renewable energy system meets 100% of the electricity demand. Additionally the sensitivity analysis in this paper shows that the size of solar PV and wind used for green hydrogen production can further be reduced by 50%. The sensitivity analysis shows that the system could experience AU$0.03/kWh lower levelized cost if the undersea cable is used to transfer the generated electricity between islands instead of hydrogen transportation. However it would require environmental approval and policy changes as the islands are located in the Great Barrier Reef.
Environmental Impact Assessment of Hydrogen Production via Steam Methane Reforming Based on Emissions Data
Oct 2022
Publication
Steam methane reforming (SMR) using natural gas is the most commonly used technology for hydrogen production. Industrial hydrogen production contributes to pollutant emissions which may differ from the theoretical estimates due to process conditions type and state of installed pollution control equipment. The aim of this study was to estimate the impacts of hydrogen production using facilitylevel real emissions data collected from multiple US EPA databases. The study applied the ReCiPe2016 impact assessment method and considered 12 midpoint and 14 endpoint impacts for 33 US SMR hydrogen production facilities. Global warming impacts were mostly driven by CO2 emissions and contributed to 94.6% of the endpoint impacts on human health while global warming impact on terrestrial ecosystems contributed to 98.3% of the total endpoint impacts on ecosystems. The impacts estimated by direct emissions from the 33 facilities were 9.35 kg CO2e/kg H2 which increased to 11.2 kg CO2e/kg H2 when the full life cycle of hydrogen production including upstream emissions was included. The average global warming impact could be reduced by 5.9% and 11.1% with increases in hydrogen production efficiency by 5% and 10% respectively. Potential impact reductions are also found when natural gas hydrogen production feedstock is replaced by renewable sources with the greatest reduction of 78.1% found in hydrogen production via biomass gasification followed by 68.2% reduction in landfill gas and 53.7% reduction in biomethane-derived hydrogen production.
A Review on Ports' Readiness to Facilitate International Hydrogen Trade
Jan 2023
Publication
The existing literature on the hydrogen supply chains has knowledge gaps. Most studies focus on hydrogen production storage transport and utilisation but neglect ports which are nexuses in the supply chains. To fill the gap this paper focuses on ports' readiness for the upcoming hydrogen international trade. Potential hydrogen exporting and importing ports are screened. Ports' readiness for hydrogen export and import are reviewed from perspectives of infrastructure risk management public acceptance regulations and standards and education and training. The main findings are: (1) liquid hydrogen ammonia methanol and LOHCs are suitable forms for hydrogen international trade; (2) twenty ports are identified that could be first movers; among them twelve are exporting ports and eight are importing ports; (3) ports’ readiness for hydrogen international trade is still in its infancy and the infrastructure construction or renovation risk management measures establishment of regulations and standards education and training all require further efforts.
The Role of Offshore Wind Power in Renewable Hydrogen Production
Jan 2023
Publication
We investigate the role of offshore wind in a hybrid system comprising solar PV offshore wind electrical storage (pumped hydro energy storage or battery) and an electrolyser in an off-grid hydrogen production system. Further we capture a wide range of future cost reduction scenarios for offshore wind power and solar PV generation in addition to accounting for future projected falls in electrolyser costs allowing future hydrogen costs to be estimated with a variety of different assumptions. The empirical setting of Australia and incorporation of solar PV as an additional potential source of electricity enables us to examine the contribution of offshore wind to renewable hydrogen production when an low-cost renewable alternative is available. This study complements a small number of studies on opportunities for offshore wind power in the Australian setting (Briggs et al. 2021; Golestani et al. 2021; Aryai et al. 2021) and contributes to research on the potential for offshore wind to contribute to green hydrogen production focused on the crucial Asia-Pacific region (Kim and Kim 2017; Song et al. 2021).<br/>In the following sections we describe the optimization model and the process used for selecting sites used in the study. We then summarize the modelling scenarios and assumptions before outlining the modelling results. We conclude by discussing the implications of the findings.
Sizing of Hybrid Supercapacitors and Lithium-Ion Batteries for Green Hydrogen Production from PV in the Australian Climate
Feb 2023
Publication
Instead of storing the energy produced by photovoltaic panels in batteries for later use to power electric loads green hydrogen can also be produced and used in transportation heating and as a natural gas alternative. Green hydrogen is produced in a process called electrolysis. Generally the electrolyser can generate hydrogen from a fluctuating power supply such as renewables. However due to the startup time of the electrolyser and electrolyser degradation accelerated by multiple shutdowns an idle mode is required. When in idle mode the electrolyser uses 10% of the rated electrolyser load. An energy management system (EMS) shall be applied where a storage technology such as a lithium-ion capacitor or lithium-ion battery is used. This paper uses a state-machine EMS of PV microgrid for green hydrogen production and energy storage to manage the hydrogen production during the morning from solar power and in the night using the stored energy in the energy storage which is sized for different scenarios using a lithium-ion capacitor and lithium-ion battery. The mission profile and life expectancy of the lithium-ion capacitor and lithium-ion battery are evaluated considering the system’s local irradiance and temperature conditions in the Australian climate. A tradeoff between storage size and cutoffs of hydrogen production as variables of the cost function is evaluated for different scenarios. The lithium-ion capacitor and lithium-ion battery are compared for each tested scenario for an optimum lifetime. It was found that a lithium-ion battery on average is 140% oversized compared to a lithium-ion capacitor but a lithium-ion capacitor has a smaller remaining capacity of 80.2% after ten years of operation due to its higher calendar aging while LiB has 86%. It was also noticed that LiB is more affected by cycling aging while LiC is affected by calendar aging. However the average internal resistance after 10 years for the lithium-ion capacitor is 264% of the initial internal resistance while for lithium-ion battery is 346% making lithium-ion capacitor a better candidate for energy storage if it is used for grid regulation as it requires maintaining a lower internal resistance over the lifetime of the storage.
Improved Engine Performance and Significantly Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Fumigating Hydrogen in a Diesel Engine
Oct 2022
Publication
A thermodynamic model was developed for combustion performance and emissions with a reference diesel fuel a 10 vol% methanol blend with 90 vol% diesel a 10 vol% ethanol with 90 vol% diesel and a 4% hydrogen fumigating in the inlet port along with diesel direct injection. The diesel and two alcohol blends (10% methanol–90% diesel and 10% ethanol–90% diesel) was directly injected into the cylinder while hydrogen was fumigated at the inlet port. The model was developed by commercial GT-Suite software. Besides engine performance exergy and energy rates were estimated for the four fuels. Among the four fuels/fuel blends hydrogen fuel (4% fumigated hydrogen) shows the best performance in terms of exergy energy rates specific fuel consumption power and greenhouse gas emissions. Regarding greenhouse gases carbon dioxide was only considered in this investigation as it contributes to a significant detrimental effect on environmental pollution.
Strategies for the Adoption of Hydrogen-Based Energy Storage Systems: An Exploratory Study in Australia
Aug 2022
Publication
A significant contribution to the reduction of carbon emissions will be enabled through the transition from a centralised fossil fuel system to a decentralised renewable electricity system. However due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy storage is required to provide a suitable response to dynamic loads and manage the excess generated electricity with utilisation during periods of low generation. This paper investigates the use of stationary hydrogen-based energy storage systems for microgrids and distributed energy resource systems. An exploratory study was conducted in Australia based on a mixed methodology. Ten Australian industry experts were interviewed to determine use cases for hydrogen-based energy storage systems’ requirements barriers methods and recommendations. This study suggests that the current cost of the electrolyser fuel cell and storage medium and the current low round-trip efficiency are the main elements inhibiting hydrogen-based energy storage systems. Limited industry and practical experience are barriers to the implementation of hydrogen storage systems. Government support could help scale hydrogen-based energy storage systems among early adopters and enablers. Furthermore collaboration and knowledge sharing could reduce risks allowing the involvement of more stakeholders. Competition and innovation could ultimately reduce the costs increasing the uptake of hydrogen storage systems.
Economics of Renewable Hydrogen Production Using Wind and Solar Energy: A Case Study for Queensland, Australia
Dec 2023
Publication
This study presents a technoeconomic analysis of renewables-based hydrogen production in Queensland Australia under Optimistic Reference and Pessimistic scenarios to address uncertainty in cost predictions. The goal of the work was to ascertain if the target fam-gate cost of AUD 3/kg (approx. USD 2/kg) could be reached. Economies of scale and the learning rate concept were factored into the economic model to account for the effect of scale-up and cost reductions as electrolyser manufacturing capacity grows. The model assumes that small-scale to large-scale wind turbine (WT)-based and photovoltaic (PV)-based power generation plants are directly coupled with an electrolyser array and utilises hourly generation data for the Gladstone hydrogen-hub region. Employing first a commonly used simplified approach the electrolyser array was sized based on the maximum hourly power available for hydrogen production. The initial results indicated that scale-up is very beneficial: the levelised cost of green hydrogen (LCOH) could decrease by 49% from $6.1/kg to $3.1/kg when scaling PV-based plant from 10 MW to 1 GW and for WT-based plant by 36% from $5.8/kg to $3.7/kg. Then impacts on the LCOH of incorporating curtailment of ineffective peak power and electrolyser overload capacity were investigated and shown to be significant. Also significant was the beneficial effect of recognising that electrolyser efficiency depends on input power. The latter two factors have mostly been overlooked in the literature. Incorporating in the model the influence on the LCOH of real-world electrolyser operational characteristics overcomes a shortcoming of the simplified sizing method namely that a large portion of electrolyser capacity is under-utilised leading to unnecessarily high values of the LCOH. It was found that AUD 3/kg is achievable if the electrolyser array is properly sized which should help to incentivise large-scale renewable hydrogen projects in Australia and elsewhere.
A Review of Hydrogen Technologies and Engineering Solutions for Railway Vehicle Design and Operations
Oct 2021
Publication
Interest in hydrogen-powered rail vehicles has gradually increased worldwide over recent decades due to the global pressure on reduction in greenhouse gas emissions technology availability and multiple options of power supply. In the past research and development have been primarily focusing on light rail and regional trains but the interest in hydrogen-powered freight and heavy haul trains is also growing. The review shows that some technical feasibility has been demonstrated from the research and experiments on proof-of-concept designs. Several rail vehicles powered by hydrogen either are currently operating or are the subject of experimental programmes. The paper identifies that fuel cell technology is well developed and has obvious application in providing electrical traction power while hydrogen combustion in traditional IC engines and gas turbines is not yet well developed. The need for on-board energy storage is discussed along with the benefits of energy management and control systems.
Influence of Natural Gas and Hydrogen Properties on Internal Combustion Engine Performance, Combustion, and Emissions: A Review
Jan 2024
Publication
This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the physical properties and applications of natural gas (NG) and hydrogen as fuels in internal combustion (IC) engines. The paper also meticulously examines the use of both NG and hydrogen as a fuel in vehicles their production physical characteristics and combustion properties. It reviews the current experimental studies in the literature and investigates the results of using both fuels. It further covers the challenges associated with injectors needle valves lubrication spark plugs and safety requirements for both fuels. Finally the challenges related to the storage production and safety of both fuels are also discussed. The literature review reveals that NG in spark ignition (SI) engines has a clear and direct positive impact on fuel economy and certain emissions notably reducing CO2 and non-methane hydrocarbons. However its effect on other emissions such as unburnt hydrocarbons (UHC) nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) is less clear. NG which is primarily methane has a lower carbon-to-hydrogen ratio than diesel fuel resulting in lower CO2 emissions per unit of energy released. In contrast hydrogen is particularly well-suited for use in gasoline engines due to its high self-ignition temperature. While increasing the hydrogen content of NG engines reduces torque and power output higher hydrogen input results in reduced fuel consumption and the mitigation of toxic exhaust emissions. Due to its high ignition temperature hydrogen is not inherently suitable for direct use in diesel engines necessitating the exploration of alternative methods for hydrogen introduction into the cylinder. The literature review suggests that hydrogen in diesel engines has shown a reduction in specific exhaust emissions and fuel consumption and an increase in NOx emissions. Overall the paper provides a valuable and informative overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with using hydrogen and NG as fuels in IC engines. It highlights the need for further research and development to address the remaining challenges such as the development of more efficient combustion chambers and the reduction of NOx emissions.
Material Challenges and Hydrogen Embrittlement Assessment for Hydrogen Utilisation in Industrial Scale
Sep 2023
Publication
Hydrogen has been studied extensively as a potential enabler of the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. It promises a feasible decarbonisation route because it can act as an energy carrier a heat source or a chemical reactant in industrial processes. Hydrogen can be produced via renewable energy sources such as solar hydro or geothermic routes and is a more stable energy carrier than intermittent renewable sources. If hydrogen can be stored efficiently it could play a crucial role in decarbonising industries. For hydrogen to be successfully implemented in industrial systems its impact on infrastructure needs to be understood quantified and controlled. If hydrogen technology is to be economically feasible we need to investigate and understand the retrofitting of current industrial infrastructure. Currently there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge regarding alloys and components performance in long-term hydrogen-containing environments at industrial conditions associated with high-temperature hydrogen processing/production. This review summarises insights into the gaps in hydrogen embrittlement (HE) research that apply to high-temperature high-pressure systems in industrial processes and applications. It illustrates why it is still important to develop characterisation techniques and methods for hydrogen interaction with metals and surfaces under these conditions. The review also describes the implications of using hydrogen in large-scale industrial processes.
Green Steel: Synergies between the Australian Iron Ore Industry and the Production of Green Industry
May 2023
Publication
Green steel produced using renewable energy and hydrogen presents a promising avenue to decarbonize steel manufacturing and expand the hydrogen industry. Australia endowed with abundant renewable resources and iron ore deposits is ideally placed to support this global effort. This paper's two-step analytical approach offers the first comprehensive assessment of Australia's potential to develop green steel as a value-added export commodity. The Economic Fairways modelling reveals a strong alignment between prospective hydrogen hubs and current and future iron ore operations enabling shared infrastructure development and first-mover advantages. By employing a site-based system optimization that integrates both wind and solar power sources the cost of producing green steel could decrease significantly to around AU$900 per tonne by 2030 and AU$750 per tonne by 2050. Moreover replacing 1% of global steel production would require 35 GW of well-optimized wind and solar photovoltaics 11 GW of hydrogen electrolysers and 1000 square kilometres of land. Sensitivity analysis further indicates that iron ore prices would exert a long-term influence on green steel prices. Overall this study highlights the opportunities and challenges facing the Australian iron ore industry in contributing to the decarbonization of the global steel sector underscoring the crucial role of government support in driving the growth and development of the green steel industry.
Synergistic Integration of Hydrogen Energy Economy with UK’s Sustainable Development Goals: A Holistic Approach to Enhancing Safety and Risk Mitigation
Oct 2023
Publication
Hydrogen is gaining prominence as a sustainable energy source in the UK aligning with the country’s commitment to advancing sustainable development across diverse sectors. However a rigorous examination of the interplay between the hydrogen economy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is imperative. This study addresses this imperative by comprehensively assessing the risks associated with hydrogen production storage transportation and utilization. The overarching aim is to establish a robust framework that ensures the secure deployment and operation of hydrogen-based technologies within the UK’s sustainable development trajectory. Considering the unique characteristics of the UK’s energy landscape infrastructure and policy framework this paper presents practical and viable recommendations to facilitate the safe and effective integration of hydrogen energy into the UK’s SDGs. To facilitate sophisticated decision making it proposes using an advanced Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) tool incorporating regret theory and a 2-tuple spherical linguistic environment. This tool enables a nuanced decision-making process yielding actionable insights. The analysis reveals that Incident Reporting and Learning Robust Regulatory Framework Safety Standards and Codes are pivotal safety factors. At the same time Clean Energy Access Climate Action and Industry Innovation and Infrastructure are identified as the most influential SDGs. This information provides valuable guidance for policymakers industry stakeholders and regulators. It empowers them to make well-informed strategic decisions and prioritize actions that bolster safety and sustainable development as the UK transitions towards a hydrogen-based energy system. Moreover the findings underscore the varying degrees of prominence among different SDGs. Notably SDG 13 (Climate Action) exhibits relatively lower overall distinction at 0.0066 and a Relation value of 0.0512 albeit with a substantial impact. In contrast SDG 7 (Clean Energy Access) and SDG 9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure) demonstrate moderate prominence levels (0.0559 and 0.0498 respectively) each with its unique influence emphasizing their critical roles in the UK’s pursuit of a sustainable hydrogen-based energy future.
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