Policy & Socio-Economics
Hydrogen Insights 2022
Sep 2022
Publication
Authored by the Hydrogen Council in collaboration with McKinsey and Company Hydrogen Insights 2022 presents an updated perspective on hydrogen market development and actions required to unlock hydrogen at scale.
The pipeline of hydrogen projects is continuing to grow but actual deployment is lagging.
680 large-scale project proposals worth USD 240 billion have been put forward but only about 10% (USD 22 billion) have reached final investment decision (FID). While Europe leads in proposed investments (~30%) China is slightly ahead on actual deployment of electrolyzers (200 MW) while Japan and South Korea are leading in fuel cells (more than half of the world’s 11 GW manufacturing capacity).
The urgency to invest in mature hydrogen projects today is greater than ever.
For the world to be on track for net zero emissions by 2050 investments of some USD 700 billion in hydrogen are needed through 2030 – only 3% of this capital is committed today. Ambition and proposals by themselves do not translate into positive impact on climate change; investments and implementation on the ground is needed.
Joint action by the public and private sectors is urgently required to move from project proposals to FIDs.
Both governments and industry need to act to implement immediate actions for 2022 to 2023 – policymakers need to enable demand visibility roll out funding support and ensure international coordination; industry needs to increase supply chain capability and capacity advance projects towards final investment decision (FID) and develop infrastructure for cross-border trade.
The paper can be found on their website.
The pipeline of hydrogen projects is continuing to grow but actual deployment is lagging.
680 large-scale project proposals worth USD 240 billion have been put forward but only about 10% (USD 22 billion) have reached final investment decision (FID). While Europe leads in proposed investments (~30%) China is slightly ahead on actual deployment of electrolyzers (200 MW) while Japan and South Korea are leading in fuel cells (more than half of the world’s 11 GW manufacturing capacity).
The urgency to invest in mature hydrogen projects today is greater than ever.
For the world to be on track for net zero emissions by 2050 investments of some USD 700 billion in hydrogen are needed through 2030 – only 3% of this capital is committed today. Ambition and proposals by themselves do not translate into positive impact on climate change; investments and implementation on the ground is needed.
Joint action by the public and private sectors is urgently required to move from project proposals to FIDs.
Both governments and industry need to act to implement immediate actions for 2022 to 2023 – policymakers need to enable demand visibility roll out funding support and ensure international coordination; industry needs to increase supply chain capability and capacity advance projects towards final investment decision (FID) and develop infrastructure for cross-border trade.
The paper can be found on their website.
EU Decarbonization under Geopolitical Pressure: Changing Paradigms and Implications for Energy and Climate Policy
Mar 2023
Publication
This paper aims to assess the impact of EU energy and climate policy as a response to Russia’s war in Ukraine on the EU decarbonization enterprise. It showcases how the Russian invasion was a crunch point that forced the EU to abandon its liberal market dogma and embrace in practice an open strategic autonomy approach. This led to an updated energy and climate policy with significant changes underpinning its main pillars interdependence diversification and the focus of market regulation and build-up. The reversal of enforced interdependence with Russia and the legislative barrage to support and build-up a domestic clean energy market unlocks significant emission reduction potential with measures targeting energy efficiency solar wind and hydrogen development; an urban renewable revolution and electricity and carbon market reforms standing out. Such positive decarbonization effects however are weakened by source and fuel diversification moves that extend to coal and shale gas especially when leading to an infrastructure build-up and locking-in gas use in the mid-term. Despite these caveats the analysis overall vindicates the hypothesis that geopolitics constitutes a facilitator and accelerator of EU energy transition.
Renewable-based Zero-carbon Fuels for the Use of Power Generation: A Case Study in Malaysia Supported by Updated Developments Worldwide
Apr 2021
Publication
The existing combustion-centered energy mix in Malaysia has shown that replacing fossil fuels with zero-carbon alternative fuels could be a better approach to achieve the reduction of the carbon footprint of the power generation industry. In this study the potential of zero-carbon alternative fuels generated from renewable sources such as green hydrogen and green ammonia was addressed in terms of the production transport storage and utilization in Malaysia’s thermal power plants. The updated developments associated to green hydrogen and green ammonia across the globe have also been reviewed to support the existing potential in Malaysia. Though green hydrogen and green ammonia are hardly commercialized in Malaysia for the time being numerous potentialities have been identified in utilizing these fuels to achieve the zero-carbon power generation market in Malaysia. The vast and strategic location of natural gas network in Malaysia has the potential to deliver green hydrogen with minimal retrofitting required. Moreover there are active participation of Malaysia’s academic institutions in the development of water electrolysis that is the core process to convert the electricity from renewables plant into hydrogen. Malaysia also has the capacity to use its abundance of depleted gas reservoirs for the storage of green hydrogen. A large number of GT plants in Malaysia would definitely have the potential to utilize hydrogen co-firing with natural gas to minimize the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released. The significant number of ammonia production plants in Malaysia could provide a surplus of ammonia to be used as an alternative fuel for power plants. With regard to the energy policy in Malaysia positive acceptance of the implementation of renewable energy has been shown with the introduction of various energy policies aimed at promoting the incorporation of renewables into the energy mix. However there is still inadequate support for the implementation of alternative zero-carbon fuels in Malaysia.
Economic Analysis on Hydrogen Pipeline Infrastructure Establishment Scenarios: Case Study of South Korea
Sep 2022
Publication
South Korea has a plan to realize a hydrogen economy and it is essential to establish a main hydrogen pipeline for hydrogen transport. This study develops a cost estimation model applicable to the construction of hydrogen pipelines and conducts an economic analysis to evaluate various scenarios for hydrogen pipeline construction. As a result the cost of modifying an existing natural gas to a hydrogen pipeline is the lowest however there are issues with the safety of the modified hydrogen pipes from natural gas and the necessity of the existing natural gas pipelines. In the case of a short-distance hydrogen pipeline the cost is about 1.8 times that of the existing natural gas pipeline modification but it is considered a transitional scenario before the construction of the main hydrogen pipeline nationwide. Lastly in the case of long-distance main hydrogen pipeline construction it takes about 3.7 times as much cost as natural gas pipeline modification however it has the advantage of being the ultimate hydrogen pipeline network. In this study various hydrogen pipeline establishment scenarios ware compared. These results are expected to be utilized to establish plans for building hydrogen pipelines and to evaluate their economic feasibility.
The Role of Hydrogen for Deep Decarbonization of Energy Systems: A Chilean Case Study
Mar 2023
Publication
In this paper we implement a long-term multi-sectoral energy planning model to evaluate the role of green hydrogen in the energy mix of Chile a country with a high renewable potential under stringent emission reduction objectives in 2050. Our results show that green hydrogen is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly route especially for hard-to-abate sectors such as interprovincial and freight transport. They also suggest a strong synergy of hydrogen with electricity generation from renewable sources. Our numerical simulations show that Chile should (i) start immediately to develop hydrogen production through electrolyzers all along the country (ii) keep investing in wind and solar generation capacities ensuring a low cost hydrogen production and reinforce the power transmission grid to allow nodal hydrogen production (iii) foster the use of electric mobility for cars and local buses and of hydrogen for long-haul trucks and interprovincial buses and (iv) develop seasonal hydrogen storage and hydrogen cells to be exploited for electricity supply especially for the most stringent emission reduction objectives.
Hydrogen Champion Report: Recommendations to Government and Industry to Accelerate the Development of the UK Hydrogen Economy
Mar 2023
Publication
The UK Hydrogen Champion engaged with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain between July and December 2022.<br/>This report summarises their findings and makes recommendations for government and industry to accelerate the growth of the hydrogen sector.
Analysis of the European Strategy for Hydrogen: A Comprehensive Review
May 2023
Publication
This review focuses on analysing the strategy and aspirations of the European Union within the hydrogen sector. This aim is achieved through the examination of the European Parliament’s hydrogen strategy allowing for a study of actions and projects in hydrogen technologies. The Parliament’s hydrogen strategy is the document that provides the guideline of how the EU intends to function in the hydrogen sector and manages to cover a wide range of topics all of them significant to represent the entirety of the hydrogen sector. It touches on subjects such as hydrogen demand infrastructure research and standards among others. The review discusses also the aspect that the EU intends to be a leader in the hydrogen sector including the large-scale industrialization of key elements such as electrolysers and this purpose is corroborated by the large number of associations strategies plans and projects that are being established and developed by the European Union. The most important conclusions to learn from this analysis are that hydrogen has many of the right characteristics to make it the key to decarbonisation especially in hard-to-abate sectors and that it is bound to be one of the main actors in the imminent green transition. Moreover hydrogen seems to be having its breakthrough and this field’s development can have benefits not only from an environmental perspective but also from an economical one enabling the way into the green transition and the fight against climate change.
The Role of Hydrogen and H2 Mobility on the Green Transition of Islands: The Case of Anafi (Greece)
Apr 2023
Publication
The holistic green energy transition of non-interconnected islands faces several challenges if all the energy sectors are included i.e. electricity heating/cooling and mobility. On the one hand the penetration of renewable energy systems (RES) is limited due to design restrictions with respect to the peak demand. On the other hand energy-intensive heating and mobility sectors pose significant challenges and may be difficult to electrify. The focus of this study is on implementing a hybrid Wind–PV system on the non-interconnected island of Anafi (Greece) that utilizes surplus renewable energy production for both building heating through heat pumps and hydrogen generation. This comprehensive study aims to achieve a holistic green transition by addressing all three main sectors—electricity heating and transportation. The produced hydrogen is utilized to address the energy needs of the mobility sector (H2 mobility) focusing primarily on public transportation vehicles (buses) and secondarily on private vehicles. The overall RES production was modeled to be 91724 MWh with a RES penetration of 84.68%. More than 40% of the produced electricity from RES was in the form of excess electricity that could be utilized for hydrogen generation. The modeled generated hydrogen was simulated to be more than 40 kg H2/day which could cover all four bus routes of the island and approximately 200 cars for moderate use i.e. traveled distances of less than 25 km/day for each vehicle.
Cost and Capacity Requirements of Electrification or Renewable Gas Transition Options that Decarbonize Building Heating in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
Jun 2022
Publication
Northern countries face a unique challenge in decarbonizing heating demands. This study compares two pathways to reduce carbon emissions from building heating by (1) replacing natural gas heaters with electric heat pumps or (2) replacing natural gas with renewable gas. Optimal annual system cost and capacity requirements for Metro Vancouver Canada are assessed for each pathway under nine scenarios. Results show that either pathway can be lower cost but the range of costs is more narrow for the renewable gas pathway. System cost is sensitive to heat demand with colder temperatures favouring the renewable gas pathway and milder temperatures favouring the electrification pathway. These results highlight the need for a better understanding of heating profiles and associated energy system requirements.
Energy From Waste and the Circular Economy
Jul 2020
Publication
The Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) and the Birmingham Energy Institute have launched a policy commission to examine the state of play barriers challenges and opportunities for Energy from Waste (EfW) to form part of the regional energy circular economy in the Midlands. This policy commission explores the case for regional investment whilst helping shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding critical issues such as fuel poverty and poor air quality.
The Challenge
Tackling climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. To follow the path for limiting global warming below 2ᵒC set out in the 2015 Paris agreement requires significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The UK has committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 requiring action at a local regional and national level to transition to a zero carbon economy.
To decarbonise and decentralise the UK’s energy system we must implement technologies that provide energy supply solutions across the UK.
In the Midlands many industrial sites are unable to access supply of affordable clean and reliable energy to meet their demands.
Energy from Waste (EfW) could offer a solution to the Midlands based industrial sites. EfW sites provide affordable secure energy supply solutions that form part of a developing circular economy. EfW reduces our reliance on landfills and obtains the maximum value from our waste streams. There are a number of merging technologies that could potentially play an important role which treats waste as a resource properly integrated into an energy and transport system and fully respects the potential of linking in the circular economy.
Investment into EfW infrastructure in the region could lead to job creation and economic growth and could help provide inward investment needed to redevelop old industrial sites and retiring power stations. However for EfW to be part of a net-zero energy system (either in transition or long-term) technologies and processes are needed that reduce the current carbon emissions burden.
EfW could play a significant role in the net zero carbon transition in the Midlands supplying heat power and green fuels and solve other problems - the region has some of the highest levels of energy/fuel poverty and poor air quality in the UK. The policy commission will help shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding this important topic.
Report Recommendations
Recovery Resource Cluster
The EfW policy commission proposes three major areas where it believes that government investment would be highly beneficial
The National Centre for the Circular Economy would analyse material flows throughout the economy down to regional and local levels and develop deep expertise in recycling and EfW technologies. The CCE would also provide expert guidance and support for local authorities as they develop local or regional strategies and planning frameworks.
The R&D Grand Challenge aims to make big advances in small-scale carbon capture technologies in order to turn 100% of CO2 produced through the process of converting waste to energy into useful products. This is very important for areas such as the Midlands which are remoted from depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
The Challenge
Tackling climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. To follow the path for limiting global warming below 2ᵒC set out in the 2015 Paris agreement requires significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The UK has committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 requiring action at a local regional and national level to transition to a zero carbon economy.
To decarbonise and decentralise the UK’s energy system we must implement technologies that provide energy supply solutions across the UK.
In the Midlands many industrial sites are unable to access supply of affordable clean and reliable energy to meet their demands.
Energy from Waste (EfW) could offer a solution to the Midlands based industrial sites. EfW sites provide affordable secure energy supply solutions that form part of a developing circular economy. EfW reduces our reliance on landfills and obtains the maximum value from our waste streams. There are a number of merging technologies that could potentially play an important role which treats waste as a resource properly integrated into an energy and transport system and fully respects the potential of linking in the circular economy.
Investment into EfW infrastructure in the region could lead to job creation and economic growth and could help provide inward investment needed to redevelop old industrial sites and retiring power stations. However for EfW to be part of a net-zero energy system (either in transition or long-term) technologies and processes are needed that reduce the current carbon emissions burden.
EfW could play a significant role in the net zero carbon transition in the Midlands supplying heat power and green fuels and solve other problems - the region has some of the highest levels of energy/fuel poverty and poor air quality in the UK. The policy commission will help shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding this important topic.
Report Recommendations
Recovery Resource Cluster
The EfW policy commission proposes three major areas where it believes that government investment would be highly beneficial
- Building a network of local and regional Resource Recovery Clusters
- Creating a National Centre for the Circular Economy
- Launching an R&D Grand Challenge to develop small-scale circular carbon capture technologies.
The National Centre for the Circular Economy would analyse material flows throughout the economy down to regional and local levels and develop deep expertise in recycling and EfW technologies. The CCE would also provide expert guidance and support for local authorities as they develop local or regional strategies and planning frameworks.
The R&D Grand Challenge aims to make big advances in small-scale carbon capture technologies in order to turn 100% of CO2 produced through the process of converting waste to energy into useful products. This is very important for areas such as the Midlands which are remoted from depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
Nested Decomposition Approach for Dispatch Optimization of Large-Scale, Integrated Electricity, Methane and Hydrogen Infrastructures
Apr 2022
Publication
Energy system integration enables raising operational synergies by coupling the energy infrastructures for electricity methane and hydrogen. However this coupling reinforces the infrastructure interdependencies increasing the need for integrated modeling of these infrastructures. To analyze the cost-efficient sustainable and secure dispatch of applied large-scale energy infrastructures an extensive and non-linear optimization problem needs to be solved. This paper introduces a nested decomposition approach with three stages. The method enables an integrated and full-year consideration of large-scale multi-energy systems in hourly resolution taking into account physical laws of power flows in electricity and gas transmission systems as boundary conditions. For this purpose a zooming technique successively reduces the temporal scope while first increasing the spatial and last the technical resolution. A use case proves the applicability of the presented approach to large-scale energy systems. To this end the model is applied to an integrated European energy system model with a detailed focus on Germany in a challenging transport situation. The use case demonstrates the temporal regional and cross-sectoral interdependencies in the dispatch of integrated energy infrastructures and thus the benefits of the introduced approach.
Macroeconomic Factors Influencing Public Policy Strategies for Blue and Green Hydrogen
Nov 2021
Publication
The aim of this paper is to analyze the factors affecting hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies (“CCS”) policies taking into consideration Fossil Fuel Consumption Oil Reserves the Debt/GDP Ratio the Trilemma Index and other variables with respect to OECD countries. STATA 17 was used for the analysis. The results confirm the hypothesis that countries with high fossil fuel consumption and oil reserves are investing in blue hydrogen and CCS towards a “zero-carbon-emission” perspective. Moreover countries with a good Debt/GDP ratio act most favorably to green policies by raising their Public Debt because Foreign Direct Investments are negatively correlated with those kinds of policies. Future research should exploit Green Finance policy decision criteria on green and blue hydrogen.
Explaining Hydrogen Energy Technology Acceptance: A Critical Review
Jan 2022
Publication
The use of hydrogen energy and the associated technologies is expected to increase in the coming years. The success of hydrogen energy technology (HET) is however dependent on public acceptance of the technology. Developing this new industry in a socially responsible way will require an understanding of the psychology factors that may facilitate or impede its public acceptance. This paper reviews 27 quantitative studies that have explored the relationship between psychological factors and HET acceptance. The findings from the review suggest that the perceived effects of the technology (i.e. the perceived benefits costs and risks) and the associated emotions are strong drivers of HET acceptance. This paper does though highlight some limitations with past research that make it difficult to make strong conclusions about the factors that influence HET acceptance. The review also reveals that few studies have investigated acceptance of different types of HET beyond a couple of applications. The paper ends with a discussion about directions for future research and highlights some practical implications for messaging and policy.
Deep Decarbonization of the Indian Economy: 2050 Prospects for Wind, Solar, and Green Hydrogen
May 2022
Publication
The paper explores options for a 2050 carbon free energy future for India. Onshore wind and solar sources are projected as the dominant primary contributions to this objective. The analysis envisages an important role for so-called green hydrogen produced by electrolysis fueled by these carbon free energy sources. This hydrogen source can be used to accommodate for the intrinsic variability of wind and solar complementing opportunities for storage of power by batteries and pumped hydro. The green source of hydrogen can be used also to supplant current industrial uses of grey hydrogen produced in the Indian context largely from natural gas with important related emissions of CO2. The paper explores further options for use of green hydrogen to lower emissions from otherwise difficult to abate sectors of both industry and transport. The analysis is applied to identify the least cost options to meet India’s zero carbon future.
Governing the UK’s Transition to Decarbonised Heating: Lessons from a Systematic Review of Past and Ongoing Heat Transitions
May 2020
Publication
According to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change the economically efficient achievement of Government’s legally-binding carbon-reduction target will require full decarbonisation of all heat in buildings and the decarbonisation of most industrial heat over the next 20 to 30 years (BEIS 2018). This goliath task is not unprecedented. Indeed the scale of this transition is similar to the UK’s former transition from coal to natural gas heating. Albeit the rate of transition away from natural gas will certainly need to be greater than the rate of the transition toward natural gas to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.<br/><br/>At present Government’s commitment stands in sharp contrast with its inaction on heat decarbonisation to date. Under pressure to progress this agenda Government has charged the Clean Heat Directorate with the task of outlining the process for determining the UK’s long-term heat policy framework to be published in the ‘Roadmap for policy on heat decarbonisation’ in the summer of 2020 (BEIS 2017). This report resulting from one of six EPSRC-funded secondments is designed to support early thinking on the roadmap by answering the research question: How can ‘Transitions’ research informs the roadmap for governing the UK’s heating transition?<br/><br/>‘Transitions’ research is an interdisciplinary field of study within the Social Sciences and Humanities that investigates the co-evolution of social and technological systems (such as the UK heating system) and the dynamics by which fundamental change in these systems occur. To investigate what insights this area of research may hold for the governance of the UK’s heat transition a systematic literature review was conducted focusing specifically on past and ongoing heat transitions across Europe.<br/><br/>The review uncovered learnings about the role of path dependency; power and politics; complexity; cross-sector interactions; multi-level governance; and intermediaries in shaping non-linear transitions toward renewable heat. This report illustrates each learning with real-world examples from case studies undertaken by Transitions researchers and concludes with a long list of policy and process-oriented governance recommendations for the UK Government.
Shipping Australian Sunshine: Liquid Renewable Green Fuel Export
Dec 2022
Publication
Renewable green fuels (RGF) such as hydrogen are the global energy future. Air pollution is compounded with climate change as the emissions driving both development problems come largely from the same source of fossil fuel burning. As an energy exporter Australian energy export dominates the total energy production and the RGF has become central to the current proposal of Australian government to reach net zero emission. The hydrogen production from solar panels only on 3% of Australia's land area could compensate 10 times of Germany's non-electricity energy consumption. In the unique geographic position Australia's RGF export attracts significant costs for long distance onboard storage and shipping. While the cost reduction of RGF production relies on technological advancement which needs a long time the storage and shipping costs must be minimised for Australia to remain competitive in the global energy market. The present review concentrates on Australian export pathways of lifecycles of liquid renewable green fuels including renewable liquified hydrogen (LH2) liquified methane (LCH4) ammonia (NH3) and methanol (CH3OH) as liquid RGF have the advantages of adopting the existing infrastructure. This review compares the advantages and disadvantages of discussed renewable energy carriers. It is found that the cost of LH2 pathway can be acceptable for shipping distance of up to 7000 km (Asian countries such as Japan) but ammonia (NH3) or methanol (CH3OH) pathways may be more cost effective for shipping distance above 7000 km for European counties such as Germany. These observations suggest the proper fuel forms to fulfill the requirements to different customers and hence will highlight Australia's position as one of major exporters of renewable energy in the future. Detailed techno-economic analysis is worth to be done for supplying more quantitative results.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: M&A in the Modern Hydrogen Economy
Sep 2021
Publication
This week we have Christopher Jackson in the hot seat as he catches up with BayoTech CEO Mo Vargas and BayoTech’s new President Michael Koonce to discuss the acquisition of IGX Group. Mergers & Acquisition activity has been growing in the hydrogen space with commentators suggesting the market is maturing faster than expected and customers seeking more integrated solutions. In this episode we look at the IGX acquisition by BayoTech and ask why the deal made sense what it means for the market and other participants and what listeners can learn from the deal to foreshadow future activity.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Techno-economic Assessment of a Hybrid Off-grid DC System for Combined Heat and Power Generation in Remote Islands
Mar 2019
Publication
Hybrid renewable energy systems that combine heat and electricity generation is an achievable option for remote areas where grid is uneconomical to extend. In this study a renewable-based system was designed to satisfy the electrical and thermal demands of a remote household in an off-grid Greek island. A hybrid DC system consisted of a combination of photovoltaic modules wind turbine electrolyzer-hydrogen tank fuel cell and batteries were analysed using HOMER Pro software. Based on the optimal obtained system it is found that such a system can satisfy both electrical and thermal load demand throughout the year in a reliable manner.
Techno-Economic Feasibility of a Solar-Wind-Fuel Cell Energy System in Duqm, Oman
Jul 2022
Publication
Duqm is located in the Al Wasta Governorate in Oman and is currently fed by 10 diesel generators with a total capacity of around 76 MW and other rental power sources with a size of 18 MW. To make the electric power supply come completely from renewables one novel solution is to replace the diesel with hydrogen. The extra energy coming from the PV-wind system can be utilized to produce green hydrogen that will be utilized by the fuel cell. Measured data of solar insolation hourly wind speeds and hourly load consumption are used in the proposed system. Finding an ideal configuration that can match the load demand and be suitable from an economic and environmental point of view was the main objective of this research. The Hybrid Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER Pro) microgrid software was used to evaluate the technical and financial performance. The findings demonstrated that the suggested hybrid system (PV-wind-fuel cell) will remove CO2 emissions at a cost of energy (COE) of USD 0.436/kWh and will reduce noise. With a total CO2 emission of 205676830 kg/year the levelized cost of energy for the current system is USD 0.196/kWh. The levelized cost for the diesel system will rise to USD 0.243/kWh when taking 100 US dollars per ton of CO2 into account. Due to system advantages the results showed that using solar wind and fuel cells is the most practical and cost-effective technique. The results of this research illustrated the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing wind and solar resources for both hydrogen and energy production and also suggested that hydrogen is a more cost-effective long-term energy storage option than batteries.
A Policy Review of Green Hydrogen Economy in Southern Africa
Nov 2021
Publication
Renewable energy and clean energy have been on the global agenda for energy transition for quite a long time but recently gained strong momentum especially with the anticipated depletion of fossil fuels alongside increasing environmental degradation from their exploitation and the changing climate caused by their excessive carbon emissions. Despite this Africa’s pursuit to transition to a green economy using renewable energy resources still faces constraints that hamper further development and commercialization. These may include socio-economic technical political financial and institutional policy framework barriers. Although hydrogen demand is still low in Southern Africa the region can meet the global demands for green hydrogen as a major supplier because of its enormous renewable energy resource-base. This article reviews existing renewable energy resources and hydrogen energy policies in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The significance of this review is that it explores how clean energy technologies that utilize renewable energy resources address the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs) and identifies the hydrogen energy policy gaps. This review further presents policy options and recommends approaches to enhance hydrogen energy production and ramp the energy transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to a hydrogen energy-based economy in Southern Africa. Concisely the transition can be achieved if the existing hydrogen energy policy framework gap is narrowed by formulating policies that are specific to hydrogen development in each country with the associated economic benefits of hydrogen energy clearly outlined.
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