Policy & Socio-Economics
Energy Innovation Needs Assessment: Overview
Nov 2019
Publication
This project provides evidence to identify the key innovation needs across the UK’s energy system to inform the prioritisation of public sector investment in low-carbon innovation including any future phases of the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Energy Innovation1 Programme. The BEIS Energy Innovation Programme aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes into the 2020s and 2030s. The current Programme with a budget of £505 million from 2015-2021 consists of six themes and invests in smart systems industry & CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) the built environment nuclear renewables and support for energy entrepreneurs and green financing.
Vivid Economics was contracted to lead a consortium with technical expertise in each of the Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) priority areas. The programme relied on evidence from a programme of workshops with over 180 participants energy system modelling and detailed technical advice. Partners include the Carbon Trust E4tech Imperial College London and Fraser-Nash. The Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) provided analytical evidence using their Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) to support an early pre-screening of technologies.
Innovations have been prioritised where there is a strong case for UK Government investment. The prioritisation in this report is based on evidence of the potential benefits to the UK via a lower cost energy system and larger export markets. We also consider whether there is a need for UK Government intervention in addition to private and international efforts.
A distinctive feature of this project is its focus on innovation that benefits the whole energy system. Internationally there are other efforts attempting to answer the question of where to target resources to maximise benefits from innovation2. In selecting priorities we identify innovations that can unlock value across electricity heat transport sectors and the rest of the economy.
Vivid Economics was contracted to lead a consortium with technical expertise in each of the Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) priority areas. The programme relied on evidence from a programme of workshops with over 180 participants energy system modelling and detailed technical advice. Partners include the Carbon Trust E4tech Imperial College London and Fraser-Nash. The Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) provided analytical evidence using their Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) to support an early pre-screening of technologies.
Innovations have been prioritised where there is a strong case for UK Government investment. The prioritisation in this report is based on evidence of the potential benefits to the UK via a lower cost energy system and larger export markets. We also consider whether there is a need for UK Government intervention in addition to private and international efforts.
A distinctive feature of this project is its focus on innovation that benefits the whole energy system. Internationally there are other efforts attempting to answer the question of where to target resources to maximise benefits from innovation2. In selecting priorities we identify innovations that can unlock value across electricity heat transport sectors and the rest of the economy.
Power-to-hydrogen as Seasonal Energy Storage: An Uncertainty Analysis for Optimal Design of Low-carbon Multi-energy Systems
Jun 2020
Publication
This study analyzes the factors leading to the deployment of Power-to-Hydrogen (PtH2) within the optimal design of district-scale Multi-Energy Systems (MES). To this end we utilize an optimization framework based on a mixed integer linear program that selects sizes and operates technologies in the MES to satisfy electric and thermal demands while minimizing annual costs and CO2 emissions. We conduct a comprehensive uncertainty analysis that encompasses the entire set of technology (e.g. cost efficiency lifetime) and context (e.g. economic policy grid carbon footprint) input parameters as well as various climate-referenced districts (e.g. environmental data and energy demands) at a European-scope.
Minimum-emissions MES with large amounts of renewable energy generation and high ratios of seasonal thermal-to-electrical demand optimally achieve zero operational CO2 emissions by utilizing PtH2 seasonally to offset the long-term mismatch between renewable generation and energy demand. PtH2 is only used to abate the last 5–10% emissions and it is installed along with a large battery capacity to maximize renewable self-consumption and completely electrify thermal demand with heat pumps and fuel cells. However this incurs additional cost. Additionally we show that ‘traditional’ MES comprised of renewables and short-term energy storage are able to decrease emissions by 90% with manageable cost increases.
The impact of uncertainty on the optimal system design reveals that the most influential parameter for PtH2 implementation is (1) heat pump efficiency as it is the main competitor in providing renewable-powered heat in winter. Further battery (2) capital cost and (3) lifetime prove to be significant as the competing electrical energy storage technology. In the face of policy uncertainties a CO2 tax shows large potential to reduce emissions in district MES without cost implications. The results illustrate the importance of capturing the dynamics and uncertainties of short- and long-term energy storage technologies for assessing cost and CO2 emissions in optimal MES designs over districts with different geographical scopes.
Minimum-emissions MES with large amounts of renewable energy generation and high ratios of seasonal thermal-to-electrical demand optimally achieve zero operational CO2 emissions by utilizing PtH2 seasonally to offset the long-term mismatch between renewable generation and energy demand. PtH2 is only used to abate the last 5–10% emissions and it is installed along with a large battery capacity to maximize renewable self-consumption and completely electrify thermal demand with heat pumps and fuel cells. However this incurs additional cost. Additionally we show that ‘traditional’ MES comprised of renewables and short-term energy storage are able to decrease emissions by 90% with manageable cost increases.
The impact of uncertainty on the optimal system design reveals that the most influential parameter for PtH2 implementation is (1) heat pump efficiency as it is the main competitor in providing renewable-powered heat in winter. Further battery (2) capital cost and (3) lifetime prove to be significant as the competing electrical energy storage technology. In the face of policy uncertainties a CO2 tax shows large potential to reduce emissions in district MES without cost implications. The results illustrate the importance of capturing the dynamics and uncertainties of short- and long-term energy storage technologies for assessing cost and CO2 emissions in optimal MES designs over districts with different geographical scopes.
Oxford Energy Podcast – Saudi Aramco’s Perspectives on Hydrogen: Opportunities and Challenges
Jun 2021
Publication
As the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals company Saudi Aramco continues to invest in technologies and innovative business models to enable the sustainable use of hydrocarbon resources across the value chain. In this podcast David Ledesma discusses with Yasser Mufti Vice President Strategy & Market Analysis Saudi Aramco about Saudi Aramco’s perspectives on hydrogen its opportunities and challenges. This wide-ranging interview discusses Saudi Aramco’s investment in new technologies and the sustainable use of its hydrocarbon resources before addressing the role of hydrogen in achieving a low emissions economy possible business models and the barriers to achieving hydrogen’s growth. The podcast then moves on to discuss ammonia carbon capture utilisation and storage finishing up with a forward-looking perspective on the vision for Saudi Aramco asking how will the company look in 2050 and specifically whether it will still be a hydrocarbon company?
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Hydrogen Generation in Europe: Overview of Costs and Key Benefits
May 2021
Publication
The European Commission published its hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe on the 8th July 2020. This strategy brings different strands of policy action together covering the entire value chain as well as the industrial market and infrastructure angles together with the research and innovation perspective and the international dimension in order to create an enabling environment to scale up hydrogen supply and demand for a climate-neutral economy. The strategy also highlights clean hydrogen and its value chain as one of the essential areas to unlock investment to foster sustainable growth and jobs which will be critical in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. It sets strategic objectives to install at least 6 GW of renewable hydrogen electrolysers by 2024 and at least 40 GW of renewable hydrogen electrolysers by 2030 and foresees industrial applications and mobility as the two main lead markets. This report provides the evidence base established on the latest publicly available data for identifying investment opportunities in the hydrogen value chain over the period from 2020 to 2050 and the associated benefits in terms of jobs. Considering the dynamics and significant scale-up expected over a very short period of time multiple sources have been used to estimate the different values consistently and transparently. The report covers the full value chain from the production of renewable electricity as the energy source for renewable hydrogen production to the investment needs in industrial applications and hydrogen trucks and buses. Although the values range significantly across the different sources the overall trend is clear. Driving hydrogen development past the tipping point needs critical mass in investment an enabling regulatory framework new lead markets sustained research and innovation into breakthrough technologies and for bringing new solutions to the market a large-scale infrastructure network that only the EU and the single market can offer and cooperation with our third country partners. All actors public and private at European national and regional level must work together across the entire value chain to build a dynamic hydrogen ecosystem in Europe.
Petroleum Sector-Driven Roadmap for Future Hydrogen Economy
Nov 2021
Publication
In the climate change mitigation context based on the blue hydrogen concept a narrative frame is presented in this paper to build the argument for solving the energy trilemma which is the possibility of job loss and stranded asset accumulation with a sustainable energy solution in gas- and oil-rich regions especially for the Persian Gulf region. To this aim scientific evidence and multidimensional feasibility analysis have been employed for making the narrative around hydrogen clear in public and policy discourse so that choices towards acceleration of efforts can begin for paving the way for the future hydrogen economy and society. This can come from natural gas and petroleum-related skills technologies experience and infrastructure. In this way we present results using multidimensional feasibility analysis through STEEP and give examples of oil- and gas-producing countries to lead the transition action along the line of hydrogen-based economy in order to make quick moves towards cost effectiveness and sustainability through international cooperation. Lastly this article presents a viewpoint for some regional geopolitical cooperation building but needs a more full-scale assessment.
Steel Manufacturing Clusters in a Hydrogen Economy – Simulation of Changes in Location and Vertical Integration of Steel Production in Northwestern Europe
Feb 2022
Publication
With the move to a hydrogen-based primary steel production envisioned for the near future in Europe existing regional industrial clusters loose major assets. Such a restructuring of industries may result in a new geographical distribution of the steel industry and also to another quality of vertical integration at sites. Both implications could turn out as drivers or barriers to invest in new technologies and are thus important in respect to vertical integration of sites and to regional policy. This paper describes an approach to model production stock invest for the steel industries in North-Western Europe. Current spatial structures are reproduced with capacity technical and energy efficiency data on the level of single facilities like blast furnaces. With the model developed both investments in specific technologies and at specific production sites can be modelled. The model is used to simulate different possible future scenarios. The case with a clear move to hydrogen-based production is compared to a reference scenario without technological shift. The scenarios show that existing trends like movement of production to the coast may be accelerated by the new technology but that sites in the hinterland can also adapt to a hydrogen economy. Possible effects of business cycles or a circular economy on regional value chains are explored with a Monte-Carlo analysis.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Costs, Cost, Costs!
Aug 2020
Publication
On this week's episode of Everything About Hydrogen the team are celebrating the show's one year anniversary with Randy MacEwen the CEO of Ballard Power Systems. On the show the team ask Randy to explain the stunning rise of hydrogen over the last 12-24 months how the use cases for hydrogen are evolving and how the growing capitalisation of listed businesses like Ballard is driving a change in the investor base across the hydrogen & fuel cell sector. We also dive into the future for Ballard where the challenges and focuses for the business lie while the team reflect on what has been a very intense year for the show and the hydrogen industry. All this and more!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Exploring the Australian Public's Response to Hydrogen
Sep 2021
Publication
Over the past three years there has been a rapid increase in discussions across the different levels of Australia's governments about the role that hydrogen might play in helping the world transition to a low carbon future. While those working in the energy industry are aware of the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead the general public is less engaged. However we know from the introduction of previous technologies that public attitudes towards technologies including whether they view them to be safe can severely impact overall acceptance. Understanding how the public perceives hydrogen both for domestic and export use and the potential benefits it brings to Australia is critical for the industry to progress. In this paper we present the initial findings of a national survey of the Australian public conducted in March 2021 which builds on the results of a previous survey conducted in 2018. The 2021 respondents were drawn from all Australian states and territories (n=3020) and quotas were used to ensure adequate representation of age groups and gender. Overall the respondents have favorable views about using hydrogen for energy in Australia with caveats about production-related environmental impacts and issues such as safety. While there has been a slight increase in support for hydrogen as a possible solution for energy and environmental challenges since the 2018 survey the effect size is very small. This suggests that while hydrogen discussions have increased at a policy level little has been done to improve public understanding of hydrogen in communication strategies will be needed as the Australian hydrogen industry continues to develop and gain more widespread media attention.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Where Does Hydrogen Fit in the Global Energy Transition?
Apr 2022
Publication
On this episode the EAH team discusses the role of hydrogen in the energy transition with Michael Liebreich Chairman and CEO of Liebreich Associates. Michael is an acknowledged thought leader on clean energy mobility technology climate sustainability and finance. He is the founder and senior contributor to Bloomberg New Energy Finance a member of numerous industry governmental and multilateral advisory boards an angel investor a former member of the board of Transport for London and an Advisor to the UK Board of Trade.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Hydrogen: Enabling A Zero-Emission Society
Nov 2021
Publication
Discover the colours of hydrogen debunk the myths around hydrogen and learn the facts and key moments in history for hydrogen as well as innovative technologies ground-breaking projects state-of-the-art research development and cooperation by members of Hydrogen Europe
The Path to Net Zero and Progress on Reducing Emissions in Wales
Dec 2020
Publication
These two joint reports required under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 provide ministers with advice on Wales’ climate targets between now and 2050 and assess progress on reducing emissions to date. Our advice to the Welsh Government is set out in two parts:
Advice Report: The path to a Net Zero Wales provides recommendations on the actions that are needed in Wales including the legislation of a Net Zero target and package of policies to deliver it.
Progress Report: Reducing emissions in Wales looks back at the progress made in Wales since the 2016 Environment (Wales) Act was passed and assesses whether Wales is on track to meet its currently legislated emissions reductions targets.
This work is based on an extensive programme of analysis consultation and consideration by the Committee and its staff building on the evidence published last year for our Net Zero report. It is compatible with our advice on the UK’s Sixth Carbon Budget. In support of the advice in this report we have also published:
Advice Report: The path to a Net Zero Wales provides recommendations on the actions that are needed in Wales including the legislation of a Net Zero target and package of policies to deliver it.
Progress Report: Reducing emissions in Wales looks back at the progress made in Wales since the 2016 Environment (Wales) Act was passed and assesses whether Wales is on track to meet its currently legislated emissions reductions targets.
This work is based on an extensive programme of analysis consultation and consideration by the Committee and its staff building on the evidence published last year for our Net Zero report. It is compatible with our advice on the UK’s Sixth Carbon Budget. In support of the advice in this report we have also published:
- All the charts and data behind the report as well as a separate dataset for the scenarios which sets out more details and data on the pathways than can be included in this report.
- A public Call for Evidence several new research projects three expert advisory groups and deep dives into the roles of local authorities and businesses.
Power-to-gas in Electricity Markets Dominated by Renewables
Oct 2018
Publication
This paper analyses the feasibility of power-to-gas in electricity markets dominated by renewables. The business case of a power-to-gas plant that is producing hydrogen is evaluated by determining the willingness to pay for electricity and by comparing this to the level and volatility of electricity prices in a number of European day-ahead markets. The short-term willingness to pay for electricity depends on the marginal costs and revenues of the plant while the long-term willingness to pay for electricity also takes into account investment and yearly fixed operational costs and therefore depends on the expected number of operating hours. The latter ultimately determines whether or not large-scale investments in the power-to-gas technology will take place.<br/>We find that power-to-gas plants are not profitable under current market conditions: even under the most optimistic assumptions for the cost and revenue parameters power-to-gas plants need to run for many hours during the year at very low prices (i.e. the long-term willingness to pay for electricity is very low) that do not currently exist in Europe. In an optimistic future scenario regarding investment costs efficiency and revenues of power-to-gas however the long-term willingness to pay for electricity is higher than the lowest recently observed day-ahead electricity prices. When prices remain at this low level investments in power-to-gas can thus become profitable.
Hydrogen is Essential for Sustainability
Nov 2018
Publication
Sustainable energy conversion requires zero emissions of greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants using primary energy sources that the earth naturally replenishes quickly like renewable resources. Solar and wind power conversion technologies have become cost effective recently but challenges remain to manage electrical grid dynamics and to meet end-use requirements for energy dense fuels and chemicals. Renewable hydrogen provides the best opportunity for a zero emissions fuel and is the best feedstock for production of zero emission liquid fuels and some chemical and heat end-uses. Renewable hydrogen can be made at very high efficiency using electrolysis systems that are dynamically operated to complement renewable wind and solar power dynamics. Hydrogen can be stored within the existing natural gas system to provide low cost massive storage capacity that (1) could be sufficient to enable a 100% zero emissions grid; (2) has sufficient energy density for end-uses including heavy duty transport; (3) is a building block for zero emissions fertilizer and chemicals; and (4) enables sustainable primary energy in all sectors of the economy.
Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Of Biomethane And Hydrogen Pathways In The European Union
Oct 2021
Publication
Gaseous fuels with low life-cycle emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) play a prominent role in the European Union’s (EU) decarbonization plans. Renewable and low-GHG hydrogen are highlighted in the ambitious goals for a cross-sector hydrogen economy laid out in the European Commission’s Hydrogen Strategy. Renewable hydrogen and biomethane are given strong production incentives in the Commission’s proposed revision to the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII). The EU uses life-cycle analysis (LCA) to determine whether renewable gas pathways meet the GHG reduction thresholds for eligibility in the REDII. This study aims to support European policymakers with a better understanding of the uncertainties regarding gaseous fuels’ roles in meeting climate goals. Life-cycle GHG analysis is complex and differences in methodology as well as data inputs and assumptions can spell the difference between a renewable gas pathway qualifying or not for REDII eligibility at the 50% to 80% GHG reduction level. It is thus important for European policymakers to use robust LCA to ensure that policy only supports gas pathways consistent with a vision of deep decarbonization. For this purpose we conduct sensitivity analysis of the life-cycle GHG emissions of a number of low-GHG gas pathways including biomethane produced from four feedstocks: wastewater sludge manure landfill gas (LFG) and silage maize; and hydrogen produced from eight sources: natural gas combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) coal with CCS biomass gasification renewable electricity 2030 EU grid electricity wastewater sludge biomethane manure biomethane and LFG biomethane. For each pathway we estimate the life-cycle GHG intensity using a default central case identify key parameters that strongly affect the fuel’s GHG intensity and conduct a sensitivity analysis by changing these key parameters according to the range of possible values collected from the literature. Figure ES1 summarizes the full range of possible GHG intensities for each gaseous pathway we analyzed in this study—biomethane is depicted in the top figure and hydrogen is shown in the bottom. The bars represent the GHG intensity of the central case and vertical error bars indicate the maximum and minimum GHG intensity of each pathway according to our sensitivity analysis. The dotted orange horizontal line illustrates the fossil comparator which is 94 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule (gCO2e/MJ) for transport fuels in the REDII. The dotted yellow line represents the GHG intensity of a 65% GHG reduction goal for biomethane used in the transportation sector or 70% GHG reduction for hydrogen. Pathways are situated from left to right in increasing order of GHG intensity of the central case. Comparing the central cases of the four biomethane pathways the waste-based biomethane pathways generally have negative GHG intensity. However considering the uncertainty in these GHG intensities manure biomethane might have more limited carbon reduction potential in the 100-year timeframe if methane leakage from its production process is high. In contrast wastewater sludge biomethane and LFG biomethane even after accounting for uncertainties retain relatively low GHG emissions. On the other hand biomethane produced from silage maize can have much higher emissions; in the central case we find that silage maize biogas only reduces GHG emissions by 30% relative to the fossil comparator—the low carbon reduction potential is due to the significant emissions emerging from direct and indirect land use change involved in growing maize. Taking into account the variation in assumptions silage maize biomethane can be worse for the climate than fossil fuels.
Hydrogen Energy: a New Dimension for the Energy Cooperation in the Northeast Asian Region
Nov 2020
Publication
The Northeast Asian Region is a home for the major world’s energy importers and Russia – the top energy exporter. Due to the depletion of national fossil energy resources the industrialised East Asian economies are facing serious energy security issues. The snapshot of the intraregional energy trade in 2019 was analysed in terms of development potential. Japan Korea and China are at the frontline of hydrogen energy technologies commercialisation and hydrogen energy infrastructure development. The drivers for such endeavours are listed and national institutions for hydrogen energy development are characterised. The priorities related to regional cooperation on hydrogen energy in Northeast Asia were derived on the basis of hydrogen production cost estimations. These priorities include steady development of international natural gas and power infrastructure. The shared process will lead to the synergy of regional fossil and renewable resources within combined power and hydrogen infrastructure.
An Overview of Economic Analysis and Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas Conversion Technologies
Dec 2020
Publication
This study presents an overview of the economic analysis and environmental impact of natural gas conversion technologies. Published articles related to economic analysis and environmental impact of natural gas conversion technologies were reviewed and discussed. The economic analysis revealed that the capital and the operating expenditure of each of the conversion process is strongly dependent on the sophistication of the technical designs. The emerging technologies are yet to be economically viable compared to the well-established steam reforming process. However appropriate design modifications could significantly reduce the operating expenditure and enhance the economic feasibility of the process. The environmental analysis revealed that emerging technologies such as carbon dioxide (CO2) reforming and the thermal decomposition of natural gas offer advantages of lower CO2 emissions and total environmental impact compared to the well-established steam reforming process. Appropriate design modifications such as steam reforming with carbon capture storage and utilization the use of an optimized catalyst in thermal decomposition and the use of solar concentrators for heating instead of fossil fuel were found to significantly reduced the CO2 emissions of the processes. There was a dearth of literature on the economic analysis and environmental impact of photocatalytic and biochemical conversion processes which calls for increased research attention that could facilitate a comparative analysis with the thermochemical processes.
Significance of Hydrogen as Economic and Environmentally Friendly Fuel
Nov 2021
Publication
The major demand of energy in today’s world is fulfilled by the fossil fuels which are not renewable in nature and can no longer be used once exhausted. In the beginning of the 21st century the limitation of the fossil fuels continually growing energy demand and growing impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment were identified as the major challenges with current energy infrastructure all over the world. The energy obtained from fossil fuel is cheap due to its established infrastructure; however these possess serious issues as mentioned above and cause bad environmental impact. Therefore renewable energy resources are looked to as contenders which may fulfil most energy requirements. Among them hydrogen is considered as the most environmentally friendly fuel. Hydrogen is clean sustainable fuel and it has promise as a future energy carrier. It also has the ability to substitute the present energy infrastructure which is based on fossil fuel. This is seen and projected as a solution for the above-mentioned problems including rise in global temperature and environmental degradation. Environmental and economic aspects are the important factors to be considered to establish hydrogen infrastructure. This article describes the various aspects of hydrogen including production storage and applications with a focus on fuel cell based electric vehicles. Their environmental as well as economic aspects are also discussed herein.
The Effects of Perceived Barriers on Innovation Resistance of Hydrogen-Electric Motorcycles
Jun 2018
Publication
As environmental awareness among the public gradually improves it is predicted that the trend of green consumption will make green products enter the mainstream market. Hydrogen-electric motorcycles with eco-friendly and energy-efficient characteristics have great advantages for development. However as a type of innovative product hydrogen-electric motorcycles require further examination with regard to consumer acceptance and external variables of the products. In this study consumer behavioral intention (BI) for the use of hydrogen-electric motorcycles and its influencing factors are discussed using innovation resistance as the basis and environmental concern as the adjusting variable. Consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for hydrogen-electric motorcycles is estimated using the contingent valuation method (CVM). The results found that (1) perception barriers viz. usage barrier value barrier risk barrier tradition barrier and price barrier are statistically significant whereas image barrier is not; (2) a high degree of environmental concern will reduce the consumers’ innovation resistance to the hydrogen-electric motorcycles; (3) up to 94.79% of the respondents of the designed questionnaire suggested that the promotion of hydrogen-electric motorcycles requires a subsidy of 21.9% of the total price from the government. The mean WTP of consumers for the purchase of hydrogen-electric motorcycles is 10–15% higher than that of traditional motorcycles.
Socio-technical Barriers to Domestic Hydrogen Futures: Repurposing Pipelines, Policies, and Public Perceptions
Feb 2023
Publication
The feasibility of the global energy transition may rest on the ability of nations to harness hydrogen's potential for cross-sectoral decarbonization. In countries historically reliant on natural gas for domestic heating and cooking such as the UK hydrogen may prove critical to meeting net-zero targets and strengthening energy security. In response the UK government is targeting industrial decarbonization via hydrogen with parallel interest in deploying hydrogen-fueled appliances for businesses and homes. However prospective hydrogen futures and especially the domestic hydrogen transition face multiple barriers which reflect the cross-sectoral dynamics of achieving economies of scale and social acceptance. Addressing these challenges calls for a deep understanding of socio-technical factors across different scales of the hydrogen economy. In response this paper develops a socio-technical systems framework for overcoming barriers to the domestic transition which is applied to the UK context. The paper demonstrates that future strategies should account for interactions between political techno-economic technical market and social dimensions of the hydrogen transition. In parallel to techno-economic feasibility the right policies will be needed to create an even playing field for green hydrogen technologies while also supporting stakeholder symbiosis and consumer buy-in. Future studies should grapple with how an effective repurposing of pipelines policies and public perceptions can be aligned to accelerate the development of the hydrogen economy with maximum net benefits for society and the environment.
Hydrogen Europe Podcast: The Commision's Support to the Hydrogen Ecosystem
Jul 2022
Publication
In this episode titled "The Commission's support to the hydrogen ecosystem" our CEO Jorgo Chatzimarkakis discusses with Rosalinde van der Vlies Clean Planet Director DG RTD - European Commission. Starting off on how Rosalinde joined the Commission the two speakers discuss the Commission's support in developing a hydrogen ecosystem also in light of its participation in the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and the implications arising from the REPowerEU.
A Review of Energy Systems Models in the UK: Prevalent Usage and Categorisation
Feb 2016
Publication
In this paper a systematic review of academic literature and policy papers since 2008 is undertaken with an aim of identifying the prevalent energy systems models and tools in the UK. A list of all referenced models is presented and the literature is analysed with regards sectoral coverage and technological inclusion as well as mathematical structure of models. The paper compares available models using an appropriate classification schema the introduction of which is aimed at making the model landscape more accessible and perspicuous thereby enhancing the diversity of models within use. The distinct classification presented in this paper comprises three sections which specify the model purpose and structure technological detail and mathematical approach. The schema is not designed to be comprehensive but rather to be a broad classification with pertinent level of information required to differentiate between models. As an example the UK model landscape is considered and 22 models are classified in three tables as per the proposed schema.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Global Energy Majors in the Hydrogen Space
Jul 2022
Publication
On today’s episode of Everything About Hydrogen we are speaking with Paul Bogers Vice President for Hydrogen at Shell. As a company Shell needs no introduction but the company’s work and investments in the hydrogen space make it a global leader in the energy transition especially when it comes to the hydrogen component. Paul is amongst the executives at Shell that are working to bring their hydrogen vision to fruition and it is great to have him with us on the show today.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Pipeline to 2050 - Building the Foundations for a Harmonised Heat Strategy
Nov 2020
Publication
Following up on our report Uncomfortable Home Truths: why Britain urgently needs a low carbon heat strategy Pipeline to 2050 sets out recommendations for BEIS’ forthcoming Heat and Buildings Strategy. Based on the findings of five roundtables held between January and July 2020 with cross-party parliamentarians policy-makers and experts from industry academia and non-governmental organisations the publication calls for a joined-up approach that simultaneously addresses all aspects of heat decarbonisation.<br/>The report highlights that today there is a patchwork of heat policy initiatives. Although they might incentivise positive development in themselves are nevertheless too dispersed and not enough to drive the level of coordinated action that is needed given the complexity of heat decarbonisation. Setting out propositions to tackle challenges associated with the transition to low carbon heat in the areas of governance funding innovation and public engagement; the publication calls for a Heat and Buildings Strategy that shows a step change in terms of ambition for heat decarbonisation.<br/>The report recommends that the Heat and Buildings Strategy needs to put forward a systematic approach that joins up all policy aspects and principles needed for the transition to low carbon heat. Moreover given the cross-sectoral engagement needed between consumers industry research and various levels of the government it argues that the Strategy has to be constructed in a way that simultaneously catalyses action from all stakeholders that are needed to take part in the process for effective heat decarbonisation.
A Historical Analysis of Hydrogen Economy Research, Development, and Expectations, 1972 to 2020
Jan 2023
Publication
Global climate change concerns have pushed international governmental actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by adopting cleaner technologies hoping to transition to a more sustainable society. The hydrogen economy is one potential long-term option for enabling deep decarbonization for the future energy landscape. Progress towards an operating hydrogen economy is discouragingly slow despite global efforts to accelerate it. There are major mismatches between the present situation surrounding the hydrogen economy and previous proposed milestones that are far from being reached. The overall aim of this study is to understand whether there has been significant real progress in the achievement of a hydrogen economy or whether the current interest is overly exaggerated (hype). This study uses bibliometric analysis and content analysis to historically map the hydrogen economy’s development from 1972 to 2020 by quantifying and analyzing three sets of interconnected data. Findings indicate that interest in the hydrogen economy has significantly progressed over the past five decades based on the growing numbers of academic publications media coverage and projects. However various endogenous and exogenous factors have influenced the development of the hydrogen economy and created hype at different points in time. The consolidated results explore the changing trends and how specific events or actors have influenced the development of the hydrogen economy with their agendas the emergence of hype cycles and the expectations of a future hydrogen economy.
Life Cycle Costing Analysis: Tools and Applications for Determining Hydrogen Production Cost for Fuel Cell Vehicle Technology
Jul 2021
Publication
This work investigates life cycle costing analysis as a tool to estimate the cost of hydrogen to be used as fuel for Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles (HFCVs). The method of life cycle costing and economic data are considered to estimate the cost of hydrogen for centralised and decentralised production processes. In the current study two major hydrogen production methods are considered methane reforming and water electrolysis. The costing frameworks are defined for hydrogen production transportation and final application. The results show that hydrogen production via centralised methane reforming is financially viable for future transport applications. The ownership cost of HFCVs shows the highest cost among other costs of life cycle analysis.
Cost-Economic Analysis of Hydrogen for China’s Fuel Cell Transportation Field
Dec 2020
Publication
China has become a major market for hydrogen used in fuel cells in the transportation field. It is key to control the cost of hydrogen to open up the Chinese market. The development status and trends of China’s hydrogen fuel industry chain were researched. A hydrogen energy cost model was established in this paper from five aspects: raw material cost fixed cost of production hydrogen purification cost carbon trading cost and transportation cost. The economic analysis of hydrogen was applied to hydrogen transported in the form of high-pressure hydrogen gas or cryogenic liquid hydrogen and produced by natural gas coal and electrolysis of water. It was found that the cost of hydrogen from natural gas and coal is currently lower while it is greatly affected by the hydrogen purification cost and the carbon trading price. Considering the impact of future production technologies raw material costs and rising requirements for sustainable energy development on the hydrogen energy cost it is recommended to use renewable energy curtailment as a source of electricity and multi-stack system electrolyzers as large-scale electrolysis equipment in combination with cryogenic liquid hydrogen transportation or on-site hydrogen production. Furthermore participation in electricity market-oriented transactions cross-regional transactions and carbon trading can reduce the cost of hydrogen. These approaches represent the optimal method for obtaining inexpensive hydrogen.
A Novel Framework for Development and Optimisation of Future Electricity Scenarios with High Penetration of Renewables and Storage
May 2019
Publication
Although electricity supply is still dominated by fossil fuels it is expected that renewable sources will have a much larger contribution in the future due to the need to mitigate climate change. Therefore this paper presents a new framework for developing Future Electricity Scenarios (FuturES) with high penetration of renewables. A multi-period linear programming model has been created for power-system expansion planning. This has been coupled with an economic dispatch model PowerGAMA to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of the developed scenarios while matching supply and demand. Application of FuturES is demonstrated through the case of Chile which has ambitious plans to supply electricity using only renewable sources. Four cost-optimal scenarios have been developed for the year 2050 using FuturES: two Business as usual (BAU) and two Renewable electricity (RE) scenarios. The BAU scenarios are unconstrained in terms of the technology type and can include all 11 options considered. The RE scenarios aim to have only renewables in the mix including storage. The results show that both BAU scenarios have a levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) lower than or equal to today’s costs ($72.7–77.3 vs $77.6/MWh) and include 81–90% of renewables. The RE scenarios are slightly more expensive than today’s costs ($81–87/MWh). The cumulative investment for the BAU scenarios is $123-$145 bn compared to $147-$157 bn for the RE. The annual investment across the scenarios is estimated at $4.0 ± 0.4 bn. Both RE scenarios show sufficient flexibility in matching supply and demand despite solar photovoltaics and wind power contributing around half of the total supply. Therefore the FuturES framework is a powerful tool for aiding the design of cost-efficient power systems with high penetration of renewables.
Hydrogen Deep Ocean Link: A Global Sustainable Interconnected Energy Grid
Mar 2022
Publication
The world is undergoing a substantial energy transition with an increasing share of intermittent sources of energy on the grid which is increasing the challenges to operate the power grid reliably. An option that has been receiving much focus after the COVID pandemic is the development of a hydrogen economy. Challenges for a hydrogen economy are the high investment costs involved in compression storage and long-distance transportation. This paper analyses an innovative proposal for the creation of hydrogen ocean links. It intends to fill existing gaps in the creation of a hydrogen economy with the increase in flexibility and viability for hydrogen production consumption compression storage and transportation. The main concept behind the proposals presented in this paper consists of using the fact that the pressure in the deep sea is very high which allows a thin and cheap HDPE tank to store and transport large amounts of pressurized hydrogen in the deep sea. This is performed by replacing seawater with pressurized hydrogen and maintaining the pressure in the pipes similar to the outside pressure. Hydrogen Deep Ocean Link has the potential of increasing the interconnectivity of different regional energy grids into a global sustainable interconnected energy system.
Transition to a Hydrogen-Based Economy: Possibilities and Challenges
Nov 2022
Publication
Across the globe energy production and usage cause the greatest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which are the key driver of climate change. Therefore countries around the world are aggressively striving to convert to a clean energy regime by altering the ways and means of energy production. Hydrogen is a frontrunner in the race to net-zero carbon because it can be produced using a diversity of feedstocks has versatile use cases and can help ensure energy security. While most current hydrogen production is highly carbon-intensive advances in carbon capture renewable energy generation and electrolysis technologies could help drive the production of low-carbon hydrogen. However significant challenges such as the high cost of production a relatively small market size and inadequate infrastructure need to be addressed before the transition to a hydrogen-based economy can be made. This review presents the state of hydrogen demand challenges in scaling up low-carbon hydrogen possible solutions for a speedy transition and a potential course of action for nations.
A Financial Model for Lithium-ion Storage in a Photovoltaic and Biogas Energy System
May 2019
Publication
Electrical energy storage (EES) such as lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries can reduce curtailment of renewables maximizing renewable utilization by storing surplus electricity. Several techno-economic analyses have been performed on EES but few have investigated the financial performance. This paper presents a state-of-the-art financial model obtaining novel and significative financial and economics results when applied to Li-ion EES. This work is a significant step forward since traditional analysis on EES are based on oversimplified and unrealistic economic models. A discounted cash flow model for the Li-ion EES is introduced and applied to examine the financial performance of three EES operating scenarios. Real-life solar irradiance load and retail electricity price data from Kenya are used to develop a set of case studies. The EES is coupled with photovoltaics and an anaerobic digestion biogas power plant. The results show the impact of capital cost: the Li-ion project is unprofitable in Kenya with a capital cost of 1500 $/kWh but is profitable at 200 $/kWh. The study shows that the EES will generate a higher profit if it is cycled more frequently (hence a higher lifetime electricity output) although the lifetime is reduced due to degradation.
A Review of Technical Advances, Barriers, and Solutions in the Power to Hydrogen Roadmap
Oct 2020
Publication
Power to hydrogen (P2H) provides a promising solution to the geographic mismatch between sources of renewable energy and the market due to its technological maturity flexibility and the availability of technical and economic data from a range of active demonstration projects. In this review we aim to provide an overview of the status of P2H analyze its technical barriers and solutions and propose potential opportunities for future research and industrial demonstrations. We specifically focus on the transport of hydrogen via natural gas pipeline networks and end-user purification. Strong evidence shows that an addition of about 10% hydrogen into natural gas pipelines has negligible effects on the pipelines and utilization appliances and may therefore extend the asset value of the pipelines after natural gas is depleted. To obtain pure hydrogen from hydrogen-enriched natural gas (HENG) mixtures end-user separation is inevitable and can be achieved through membranes adsorption and other promising separation technologies. However novel materials with high selectivity and capacity will be the key to the development of industrial processes and an integrated membrane-adsorption process may be considered in order to produce high-purity hydrogen from HENG. It is also worth investigating the feasibility of electrochemical separation (hydrogen pumping) at a large scale and its energy analysis. Cryogenics may only be feasible when liquefied natural gas (LNG) is one of the major products. A range of other technological and operational barriers and opportunities such as water availability byproduct (oxygen) utilization and environmental impacts are also discussed. This review will advance readers’ understanding of P2H and foster the development of the hydrogen economy.
Climate Action: Prospects of Green Hydrogen in Africa
Feb 2022
Publication
Africa is rich with an abundance of renewable energy sources that can help meeting the continent’s demand for electricity to promote economic growth and meet global targets for CO2 reduction. Green Hydrogen is considered one of the most promising technologies for energy generation transportation and storage. In this paper the prospects of green hydrogen production potential in Africa are investigated along with its usage for future implementation. Moreover an overview of the benefits of shifting to green Hydrogen technology is presented. The current African infrastructure and policies are tested against future targets and goals. Furthermore the study embraces a detailed theoretical environmental technological and economic assessment putting the local energy demands into consideration.
Towards a Safe Hydrogen Economy: An Absolute Climate Sustainability Assessment of Hydrogen Production
Jan 2023
Publication
Policymakers and global energy models are increasingly looking towards hydrogen as an enabling energy carrier to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors (projecting growth in hydrogen consumption in the magnitude of hundreds of megatons). Combining scenarios from global energy models and life cycle impacts of different hydrogen production technologies the results of this work show that the life cycle emissions from proposed configurations of the hydrogen economy would lead to climate overshoot of at least 5.4–8.1x of the defined “safe” space for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the cumulative consumption of 8–12% of the remaining carbon budget. This work suggests a need for a science-based definition of “clean” hydrogen agnostic of technology and compatible with a “safe” development of the hydrogen economy. Such a definition would deem blue hydrogen environmentally unviable by 2025–2035. The prolific use of green hydrogen is also problematic however due to the requirement of a significant amount of renewable energy and the associated embedded energy land and material impacts. These results suggest that demand-side solutions should be further considered as the large-scale transition to hydrogen which represents a “clean” energy shift may still not be sufficient to lead humanity into a “safe” space.
Multi-model Assessment of Heat Decarbonisation Options in the UK Using Electricity and Hydrogen
May 2022
Publication
Delivering low-carbon heat will require the substitution of natural gas with low-carbon alternatives such as electricity and hydrogen. The objective of this paper is to develop a method to soft-link two advanced investment-optimising energy system models RTN (Resource-Technology Network) and WeSIM (Whole-electricity System Investment Model) in order to assess cost-efficient heat decarbonisation pathways for the UK while utilising the respective strengths of the two models. The linking procedure included passing on hourly electricity prices from WeSIM as input to RTN and returning capacities and locations of hydrogen generation and shares of electricity and hydrogen in heat supply from RTN to WeSIM. The outputs demonstrate that soft-linking can improve the quality of the solution while providing useful insights into the cost-efficient pathways for zero-carbon heating. Quantitative results point to the cost-effectiveness of using a mix of electricity and hydrogen technologies for delivering zero-carbon heat also demonstrating a high level of interaction between electricity and hydrogen infrastructure in a zero-carbon system. Hydrogen from gas reforming with carbon capture and storage can play a significant role in the medium term while remaining a cost-efficient option for supplying peak heat demand in the longer term with the bulk of heat demand being supplied by electric heat pumps.
A Thorough Emission-Cost Analysis of the Gradual Replacement of Carbon-Rich Fuels with Carbon-Free Energy Carriers in Modern Power Plants: The Case of Cyprus
Aug 2022
Publication
Global efforts towards de-carbonization give rise to remarkable energy challenges which include renewable energy penetration increase and intermediate energy carriers for a sustainable transition. In order to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels alternative sources are considered by commodities to satisfy their increasing electricity demand as a consequence of a rise in population and the quantity of residential appliances in forthcoming years. The near-term trends appear to be in fuel and emission reduction techniques through the integration of carbon capture and storage and more efficient energy carriers exploiting alternative energy sources such as natural gas and hydrogen. Formulating both the fuel consumption and emission released the obtained experimental results showed that the total production cost can be reduced by making use of natural gas for the transition towards 2035’s targets. Maximum profits will be achieved with hydrogen as the only fuel in modern power plants by 2050. In this way the lowest electricity production can be achieved as well as the elimination of carbon dioxide emissions. Since the integration of renewable energy resources in the sectors of electricity heating/cooling and transportation will continuously be increased alternative feedstocks can serve as primary inputs and contribute to production cost profits improved utilization factors and further environmental achievements.
Hydrogen Technology Development and Policy Status by Value Chain in South Korea
Nov 2022
Publication
Global transitions from carbon- to hydrogen-based economies are an essential component of curbing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. This study provides an investigative review of the technological development trends within the overall hydrogen value chain in terms of production storage transportation and application with the aim of identifying patterns in the announcement and execution of hydrogen-based policies both domestically within Korea as well as internationally. The current status of technological trends was analyzed across the three areas of natural hydrogen carbon dioxide capture utilization and storage technology linked to blue hydrogen and green hydrogen production linked to renewable energy (e.g. water electrolysis). In Korea the establishment of underground hydrogen storage facilities is potentially highly advantageous for the storage of domestically produced and imported hydrogen providing the foundations for large-scale application as economic feasibility is the most important national factor for the provision of fuel cells. To realize a hydrogen economy pacing policy and technological development is essential in addition to establishing a roadmap for efficient policy support. In terms of technological development it is important to prioritize that which can connect the value chain all of which will ultimately play a major role in the transformation of human energy consumption.
Review of the Effects of Fossil Fuels and the Need for a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Policy in Malaysia
Feb 2023
Publication
The world has relied on fossil fuel energy for a long time producing many adverse effects. Long-term fossil fuel dependency has increased carbon emissions and accelerated climate change. In addition fossil fuels are also depleting and will soon be very costly. Moreover the expensive national electricity grid has yet to reach rural areas and will be cut off in inundation areas. As such alternative and carbon-free hydrogen fuel cell energy is highly recommended as it solves these problems. The reviews find that (i) compared to renewable energy such as solar biomass and hydropower a fuel cell does not require expensive transmission through an energy grid and is carbon-free and hence it is a faster agent to decelerate climate change; (ii) fuel cell technologies have reached an optimum level due to the high-efficiency production of energy and they are environmentally friendly; (iii) the absence of a policy on hydrogen fuel cells will hinder investment from private companies as they are not adequately regulated. It is thus recommended that countries embarking on hydrogen fuel cell development have a specific policy in place to allow the government to fund and regulate hydrogen fuel cells in the energy generation mix. This is essential as it provides the basis for alternative energy governance development and management of a country.
Quantifying the Impacts of Heat Decarbonisation Pathways on the Future Electricity and Gas Demand
May 2022
Publication
The decarbonisation of heat supply will play a critical role in meeting the emissions reduction target. There is however great uncertainty associated with the achievable levels of heat decarbonisation and the optimal heat technology mix which can have serious implications for the future electricity and gas demand. This work employs an integrated gas electricity and heat supply model to quantify the impacts of heat decarbonisation pathways on the future electricity and gas demand. A case study in the Great Britain is performed considering two heat decarbonisation scenarios in 2050: one is the predominantly electrified heat supply and the other is the predominantly hydrogen-based heat supply. The electricity demand becomes more volatile in the electrified heat scenario as the peak surges to 107.3 GW compared to 51.1 GW in the 2018 reference scenario while the peak in hydrogen-based heat scenario is 78.4 GW. The peak gas demand declines from 247.6 GW for 2018 to 81.7 GW for electrified heat scenario and to 85.1 GW for hydrogen-based heat scenario confirming that the seasonality associated with heat demand is shifting away from the gas network and towards electricity network. Moreover a sensitivity analysis shows that the future electricity demand is highly sensitive to parameters such as relative heat demand coefficient of performance of air source heat pumps and share of electricity in hydrogen production. Finally the application of a load shifting strategy demonstrates that demand-side flexibility has the potential to maintain the electricity system balance and minimise the generation and network infrastructure requirements arising from heat electrification. While the case study presented in this paper is based on the Great Britain the findings regarding the future electricity and gas demand are relevant for the global energy transition.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Financing the Hydrogen Revolution
Aug 2020
Publication
On this week's episode of Everything About Hydrogen the team are catching up with Astrid Behaghel the Energy Transition expert on hydrogen for BNP Paribas. On the show the team discuss how BNP Paribas see the emerging role of hydrogen in the energy transition how the financing of hydrogen projects differs for newer hydrogen initiatives and why BNP Paribas joined the Hydrogen Council. We also dive into the question of what role can (or even should) Banks play in the evolution and development of the emerging hydrogen market and BNPs plans to expand its activities in this sector. All this and more!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Hydrogen Emissions from a Hydrogen Economy and their Potential Global Warming Impact
Aug 2022
Publication
Hydrogen (H2) is expected to be a key instrument to meet the European Union (EU) Green Deal main objective: i.e. climate neutrality by 2050. Renewable hydrogen deployment is expected to significantly reduce EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by displacing carbon-intensive sources of energy. However concerns have been raised recently regarding the potential global warming impact caused by hydrogen emissions. Although hydrogen is neither intentionally emitted to the atmosphere when used nor a direct greenhouse gas hydrogen losses affect atmospheric chemistry indirectly contributing to global warming. To better understand the potential environmental impact of a hydrogen economy and to assess the need for action in this respect the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and the U.S. Department of Energy jointly organised with the support of the European Commission Hydrogen Europe Hydrogen Europe Research the Hydrogen Council and the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy a 2-day expert workshop. Experts agreed that a low-carbon and in particular a renewable hydrogen economy would significantly reduce the global warming impact compared to a fossil fuel economy. However hydrogen losses to the atmosphere will impact the lifetime of other greenhouse gases namely methane ozone and water vapour indirectly contributing to the increase of the Earth’s temperature in the near-term. To minimise the climate impact of a hydrogen economy losses should therefore be minimised prevented and monitored. Unfortunately current loss rates along the hydrogen supply chain are not well constrained and are currently estimated to go from few percents for compressed hydrogen (1-4%) up to 10-20% for liquefied hydrogen. Both the global warming impact of hydrogen emissions and the leakage rates from a developed hydrogen economy are subject to a high level of uncertainty. It is therefore of paramount importance to invest in developing the ability to accurately quantify hydrogen emissions as well as engage in more research on hydrogen leakage prevention and monitoring systems. More data from the hydrogen industry and improved observational capacity are needed to improve the accuracy of the global hydrogen budget. Finally it is recommended to always report the amount and location of hydrogen emissions when environmental assessments are performed. There is a range of emission metrics and time scales that are designed to evaluate the climate impacts of short-lived GHG emissions compared to CO2 (i.e. CO2 equivalents). The metric choice must depend on the specific policy goal as they can provide very different perspectives on the relative importance of H2 emissions on the climate depending on the time horizon of concern. These differences need to be viewed in the context of the specific policy objectives.
Environmental and Socio-Economic Analysis of Naphtha Reforming Hydrogen Energy Using Input-Output Tables: A Case Study from Japan
Aug 2017
Publication
Comprehensive risk assessment across multiple fields is required to assess the potential utility of hydrogen energy technology. In this research we analyzed environmental and socio-economic effects during the entire life cycle of a hydrogen energy system using input-output tables. The target system included hydrogen production by naphtha reforming transportation to hydrogen stations and FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) refilling. The results indicated that 31% 44% and 9% of the production employment and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission effects respectively during the manufacturing and construction stages were temporary. During the continuous operation and maintenance stages these values were found to be 69% 56% and 91% respectively. The effect of naphtha reforming was dominant in GHG emissions and the effect of electrical power input on the entire system was significant. Production and employment had notable effects in both the direct and indirect sectors including manufacturing (pumps compressors and chemical machinery) and services (equipment maintenance and trade). This study used data to introduce a life cycle perspective to environmental and socio-economic analysis of hydrogen energy systems and the results will contribute to their comprehensive risk assessment in the future.
From Renewable Energy to Sustainable Protein Sources: Advancement, Challenges, and Future Roadmaps
Jan 2022
Publication
The concerns over food security and protein scarcity driven by population increase and higher standards of living have pushed scientists toward finding new protein sources. A considerable proportion of resources and agricultural lands are currently dedicated to proteinaceous feed production to raise livestock and poultry for human consumption. The 1st generation of microbial protein (MP) came into the market as land-independent proteinaceous feed for livestock and aquaculture. However MP may be a less sustainable alternative to conventional feeds such as soybean meal and fishmeal because this technology currently requires natural gas and synthetic chemicals. These challenges have directed researchers toward the production of 2nd generation MP by integrating renewable energies anaerobic digestion nutrient recovery biogas cleaning and upgrading carbon-capture technologies and fermentation. The fermentation of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) and hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria (HOB) i.e. two protein rich microorganisms has shown a great potential on the one hand to upcycle effluents from anaerobic digestion into protein rich biomass and on the other hand to be coupled to renewable energy systems under the concept of Power-to-X. This work compares various production routes for 2nd generation MP by reviewing the latest studies conducted in this context and introducing the state-of-the-art technologies hoping that the findings can accelerate and facilitate upscaling of MP production. The results show that 2nd generation MP depends on the expansion of renewable energies. In countries with high penetration of renewable electricity such as Nordic countries off-peak surplus electricity can be used within MP-industry by supplying electrolytic H2 which is the driving factor for both MOB and HOB-based MP production. However nutrient recovery technologies are the heart of the 2nd generation MP industry as they determine the process costs and quality of the final product. Although huge attempts have been made to date in this context some bottlenecks such as immature nutrient recovery technologies less efficient fermenters with insufficient gas-to-liquid transfer and costly electrolytic hydrogen production and storage have hindered the scale up of MP production. Furthermore further research into techno-economic feasibility and life cycle assessment (LCA) of coupled technologies is still needed to identify key points for improvement and thereby secure a sustainable production system.
A Geospatial Method for Estimating the Levelised Cost of Hydrogen Production from Offshore Wind
Jan 2023
Publication
This paper describes the development of a general-purpose geospatial model for assessing the economic viability of hydrogen production from offshore wind power. A key feature of the model is that it uses the offshore project's location characteristics (distance to port water depth distance to gas grid injection point). Learning rates are used to predict the cost of the wind farm's components and electrolyser stack replacement. The notional wind farm used in the paper has a capacity of 510 MW. The model is implemented in a geographic information system which is used to create maps of levelised cost of hydrogen from offshore wind in Irish waters. LCOH values in 2030 spatially vary by over 50% depending on location. The geographically distributed LCOH results are summarised in a multivariate production function which is a simple and rapid tool for generating preliminary LCOH estimates based on simple site input variables.
Green Hydrogen Production and Use in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Least-cost Geospatial Modelling Approach Applied to Kenya
May 2023
Publication
With the rising threat of climate change green hydrogen is increasingly seen as the high-capacity energy storage and transport medium of the future. This creates an opportunity for low- and middle-income countries to leverage their high renewable energy potential to produce use and export low-cost green hydrogen creating environmental and economic development benefits. While identifying ideal locations for green hydrogen production is critical for countries when defining their green hydrogen strategies there has been a paucity of adequate geospatial planning approaches suitable to low- and middle-income countries. It is essential for these countries to identify green hydrogen production sites which match demand to expected use cases such that their strategies are economically sustainable. This paper therefore develops a novel geospatial cost modelling method to optimize the location of green hydrogen production across different use cases with a focus on suitability to low- and middle-income countries. This method is applied in Kenya to investigate the potential hydrogen supply chain for three use cases: ammonia-based fertilizer freight transport and export. We find hydrogen production costs of e3.7–9.9/kgH2 are currently achievable across Kenya depending on the production location chosen. The cheapest production locations are identified to the south and south-east of Lake Turkana. We show that ammonia produced in Kenya can be cost-competitive given the current energy crisis and that Kenya could export hydrogen to Rotterdam with costs of e7/kgH2 undercutting current market prices regardless of the carrier medium. With expected techno-economic improvements hydrogen production costs across Kenya could drop to e1.8–3.0/kgH2 by 2030.
Achieving Net Zero Emissions in Italy by 2050: Challenges and Opportunities
Dec 2021
Publication
This paper contributes to the climate policy discussion by focusing on the challenges and opportunities of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 in Italy. To support Italian energy planning we developed energy roadmaps towards national climate neutrality consistent with the Paris Agreement objectives and the IPCC goal of limiting the increase in global surface temperature to 1.5 ◦C. Starting from the Italian framework these scenarios identify the correlations among the main pillars for the change of the energy paradigm towards net emissions by 2050. The energy scenarios were developed using TIMES-RSE a partial equilibrium and technology-rich optimization model of the entire Italian energy system. Subsequently an in-depth analysis was developed with the sMTISIM a long-term simulator of power system and electricity markets. The results show that to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 the Italian energy system will have to experience profound transformations on multiple and strongly related dimensions. A predominantly renewable-based energy mix (at least 80–90% by 2050) is essential to decarbonize most of the final energy consumption. However the strong increase of non-programmable renewable sources requires particular attention to new flexibility resources needed for the power system such as Power-to-X. The green fuels produced from renewables via Power-to-X will be a vital energy source for those sectors where electrification faces technical and economic barriers. The paper’s findings also confirm that the European “energy efficiency first” principle represents the very first step on the road to climate neutrality.
Cross-regional Electricity and Hydrogen Deployment Research Based on Coordinated Optimization: Towards Carbon Neutrality in China
Sep 2022
Publication
In order to achieve carbon neutrality in a few decades the clean energy proportion in power mix of China will significantly rise to over 90%. A consensus has been reached recently that it will be of great significance to promote hydrogen energy that is produced by variable renewable energy power generation as a mainstay energy form in view of its potential value on achieving carbon neutrality. This is because hydrogen energy is capable of complementing the power system and realizing further electrification especially in the section that cannot be easily replaced by electric energy. Power system related planning model is commonly used for mid-term and long-term planning implemented through power installation and interconnection capacity expansion optimization. In consideration of the high importance of hydrogen and its close relationship with electricity an inclusive perspective which contains both kinds of the foresaid energy is required to deal with planning problems. In this study a joint model is established by coupling hydrogen energy model in the chronological operation power planning model to realize coordinated optimization on energy production transportation and storage. By taking the carbon neutrality scenario of China as an example the author applies this joint model to deploy a scheme research on power generation and hydrogen production inter-regional energy transportation capacity and hydrogen storage among various regions. Next by taking the technology progress and cost decrease prediction uncertainty into account the main technical– economic parameters are employed as variables to carry out sensitivity analysis research with a hope that the quantitative calculation and results discussion could provide suggestion and reference to energy-related companies policy-makers and institute researchers in formulating strategies on related energy development.
The Value of Flexible Fuel Mixing in Hydrogen-fueled Gas Turbines - A Techno-economic Study
Jul 2022
Publication
In electricity systems mainly supplied with variable renewable electricity (VRE) the variable generation must be balanced. Hydrogen as an energy carrier combined with storage has the ability to shift electricity generation in time and thereby support the electricity system. The aim of this work is to analyze the competitiveness of hydrogen-fueled gas turbines including both open and combined cycles with flexible fuel mixing of hydrogen and biomethane in zero-carbon emissions electricity systems. The work applies a techno-economic optimization model to future European electricity systems with high shares of VRE.<br/>The results show that the most competitive gas turbine option is a combined cycle configuration that is capable of handling up to 100% hydrogen fed with various mixtures of hydrogen and biomethane. The results also indicate that the endogenously calculated hydrogen cost rarely exceeds 5 €/kgH2 when used in gas turbines and that a hydrogen cost of 3–4 €/kgH2 is for most of the scenarios investigated competitive. Furthermore the results show that hydrogen gas turbines are more competitive in wind-based energy systems as compared to solar-based systems in that the fluctuations of the electricity generation in the former are fewer more irregular and of longer duration. Thus it is the characteristics of an energy system and not necessarily the cost of hydrogen that determine the competitiveness of hydrogen gas turbines.
The Key Techno-Economic and Manufacturing Drivers for Reducing the Cost of Power-to-Gas and a Hydrogen-Enabled Energy System
Jul 2021
Publication
Water electrolysis is a process which converts electricity into hydrogen and is seen as a key technology in enabling a net-zero compatible energy system. It will enable the scale-up of renewable electricity as a primary energy source for heating transport and industry. However displacing the role currently met by fossil fuels might require a price of hydrogen as low as 1 $/kg whereas renewable hydrogen produced using electrolysis is currently 10 $/kg. This article explores how mass manufacturing of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers can reduce the capital cost and thus make the production of renewable power to hydrogen gas (PtG) more economically viable. A bottom up direct manufacturing model was developed to determine how economies of scale can reduce the capital cost of electrolysis. The results demonstrated that (assuming an annual production rate of 5000 units of 200 kW PEM electrolysis systems) the capital cost of a PEM electrolysis system can reduce from 1990 $/kW to 590 $/kW based on current technology and then on to 431 $/kW and 300 $/kW based on the an installed capacity scale-up of ten- and one-hundred-fold respectively. A life-cycle costing analysis was then completed to determine the importance of the capital cost of an electrolysis system to the price of hydrogen. It was observed that based on current technology mass manufacturing has a large impact on the price of hydrogen reducing it from 6.40 $/kg (at 10 units units per year) to 4.16 $/kg (at 5000 units per year). Further analysis was undertaken to determine the cost at different installed capacities and found that the cost could reduce further to 2.63 $/kg and 1.37 $/kg based on technology scale-up by ten- and one hundred-fold respectively. Based on the 2030 (and beyond) baseline assumptions it is expected that hydrogen production from PEM electrolysis could be used as an industrial process feed stock provide power and heat to buildings and as a fuel for heavy good vehicles (HGVs). In the cases of retrofitted gas networks for residential or industrial heating solutions or for long distance transport it represents a more economically attractive and mass-scale compatible solution when compared to electrified heating or transport solutions.
Hydrogen Technology on the Polish Electromobility Market. Legal, Economic, and Social Aspects
Apr 2021
Publication
The aim of this study was to evaluate the motorization market of electric vehicles powered by hydrogen cells in Poland. European conditions of such technology were indicated as well as original proposals on amendments to the law to increase the development pace of electromobility based on hydrogen cells. There were also presented economic aspects of this economic phenomenon. Moreover survey research was conducted to examine the preferences of hydrogen and electric vehicle users in 5 primary Polish cities. In this way the level of social acceptance for the technological revolution based on hydrogen cells and taking place in the motorization sector was determined.
Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Thermal Hydrogen Production in the United Arab Emirates
Oct 2022
Publication
Solar thermal technology can provide the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East region with abundant clean electricity to mitigate the rising levels of carbon dioxide and satisfy future demand. Hydrogen can play a key role in the large-scale application of solar thermal technologies such as concentrated solar plants in the region by storing the surplus electricity and exporting it to needed countries for profit placing the Middle East and the United Arab Emirates as major future green hydrogen suppliers. However a hydrogen supply chain comparison between hydrogen from CSP and other renewable under the UAE’s technical and economic conditions for hydrogen export is yet to be fully considered. Therefore in this study we provide a techno-economic analysis for well-to-ship solar hydrogen supply chain that compares CSP and PV technologies with a solid oxide water electrolyzer for hydrogen production assuming four different hydrogen delivery pathways based on the location of electrolyzer and source of electricity assuming the SOEC can be coupled to the CSP plant when placed at the same site or provided with electric heaters when placed at PV plant site or port sites. The results show that the PV plant achieves a lower levelized cost of electricity than that of the CSP plant with 5.08 ¢/kWh and 8.6 ¢/kWh respectively. Hydrogen production results show that the scenario where SOEC is coupled to the CSP plant is the most competitive scenario as it achieves the payback period in the shortest period compared to the other scenarios and also provides higher revenues and a cheaper LCOH of 7.85 $/kgH2.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: A Green Future for Oman
Feb 2023
Publication
On this episode of Everything About Hydrogen we are speaking with Nashwa Al Rawahy Director of HMR Environmental Consultants based in Muscat Oman with regional offices in the United Arab Emirates.
We are excited to have an expert like Nashwa join us to discuss environmental and social impact studies their value to the communities and projects and the importance of building long term In Country Value (ICV).
The podcast can be found on their website.
We are excited to have an expert like Nashwa join us to discuss environmental and social impact studies their value to the communities and projects and the importance of building long term In Country Value (ICV).
The podcast can be found on their website.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Using the Law and Regulation to Facilitate Hydrogen Development
Jun 2022
Publication
Burges Salmon’s energy lawyers are known for ground-breaking work in the energy power and utilities sector. They understand the opportunities the technologies and the challenges which the sector presents. Their reputation has been built upon first-of-a-kind projects and deals and an intimate knowledge of energy regulation. Burges Salmon specialists provide expert advice throughout the project/plant life cycle. Over the years this has in turn led to investors and funders requesting their services in the knowledge that they understand the key issues technologies face. They have a team of over 80 lawyers who focus on helping developers investors and funders achieve their aims in the sector. The team has won or been shortlisted for all the key industry awards in energy over the last decade.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Energy Transition on Sifnos: An Approach to Economic and Social Transition and Development
Mar 2022
Publication
This article aims to present the potential of energy transition in insular systems for social and economic transition and development when planned and implemented appropriately with the active involvement of local communities. To this end the example of Sifnos Energy Community is examined and presented as a pilot case. It proves that energy transition apart from its obvious energy conservation and climate necessity can provide a strong contribution to the development of remote areas and the remedying of crucial issues especially in insular communities such as unemployment low standards of living isolation and energy supply security. Energy transition on Sifnos has been undertaken by the Sifnos Energy Community (SEC) with the target to achieve 100% energy independency through effective and rational projects. The major project is a centralized hybrid power plant consisting of a wind park and a pumped hydro storage system. It was designed to fully cover the current electricity demand and the anticipated forthcoming load due to the overall transition to e-mobility for the transportation sector on the island. Through the exploitation of the excess electricity production with the production of potable water and hydrogen energy transition can facilitate the development of new professional activities on the island and reduce the local economy’s dependence on tourism. Additionally a daily link to the neighboring larger Cyclades islands can be established with a hydrogen powered-passenger vessel ensuring the secure and cheap overseas transportation connection of Sifnos throughout the whole year. The overall energy transition process is executed with the active involvement of the Sifnos citizens ensuring wide public acceptance and the minimization of the projects’ impacts on the natural and human environment. At the same time the anticipated benefits for the insular communities are maximized highlighting the energy transition process on Sifnos as a new sustainable development pattern. For all this effort and the already achieved results Sifnos has been declared as one of the six pilot islands of the European Community’s initiative “Clean Energy for EU Islands”.
Opportunities and Limitations of Hydrogen Energy in Poland against the Background of the European Union Energy Policy
Jul 2022
Publication
One of the strategic goals of developed countries is to significantly increase the share of renewable energy sources in electricity generation. However the process may be hindered by e.g. the storage and transport of energy from renewable sources. The European Union countries see the development of the hydrogen economy as an opportunity to overcome this barrier. Therefore since 2020 the European Union has been implementing a hydrogen strategy that will increase the share of hydrogen in the European energy mix from the current 2 percent to up to 13–14 percent by 2050. In 2021 following the example of other European countries the Polish government adopted the Polish Hydrogen Strategy until 2030 with an outlook until 2040 (PHS). However the implementation of the strategy requires significant capital expenditure and infrastructure modernisation which gives rise to question as to whether Poland is likely to achieve the goals set out in the Polish Hydrogen Strategy and European Green Deal. The subject of the research is an analysis of the sources of financing for the PHS against the background of solutions implemented by the EU countries and a SWOT/TOWS analysis on the hydrogen economy in Poland. The overall result of the SWOT/TOWS analysis shows the advantage of strengths and related opportunities. This allows for a positive assessment of the prospects for the hydrogen economy in Poland. Poland should continue its efforts to take advantage of the external factors (O/S) such as EU support an increased price competitiveness of hydrogen and the emergence of a competitive cross-border hydrogen market in Europe. At the same time the Polish authorities should not forget about the weaknesses and threats that may inhibit the development of the domestic hydrogen market. It is necessary to modernise the infrastructure; increase the share of renewable energy sources in hydrogen production; increase R&D expenditure and in particular to complete the negotiations related to the adoption of the Fit for 55 package.
Towards 2050 Net Zero Carbon Infrastructure: A Critical Review of Key Decarbonisation Challenges in the Domestic Heating Sector in the UK
Nov 2023
Publication
One of the most challenging sectors to meet “Net Zero emissions” target by 2050 in the UK is the domestic heating sector. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of the main challenges of heating systems transition to low carbon technologies in which three distinct categories of challenges are discussed. The first challenge is of decarbonizing heat at the supply side considering specifically the difficulties in integrating hydrogen as a low-carbon heating substitute to the dominant natural gas. The next challenge is of decarbonizing heat at the demand side and research into the difficulties of retrofitting the existing UK housing stock of digitalizing heating energy systems as well as ensuring both retrofits and digitalization do not disproportionately affect vulnerable groups in society. The need for demonstrating innovative solutions to these challenges leads to the final focus which is the challenge of modeling and demonstrating future energy systems heating scenarios. This work concludes with recommendations for the energy research community and policy makers to tackle urgent challenges facing the decarbonization of the UK heating sector.
Homes of the Future: Unpacking Public Perceptions to Power the Domestic Hydrogen Transition
Apr 2022
Publication
Decarbonization in several countries is now linked to the prospect of implementing a national hydrogen economy. In countries with extensive natural gas infrastructure hydrogen may provide a real opportunity to decarbonize space heating. While this approach may prove technically and economically feasible in the longterm it is unclear whether consumers will be willing to adopt hydrogen-fueled appliances for heating and cooking should techno-economic feasibility be achieved. In response this paper develops an analytical framework for examining hydrogen acceptance which links together socio-technical barriers and social acceptance factors. Applying this framework the study synthesizes the existing knowledge on public perceptions of hydrogen and identifies critical knowledge gaps which should be addressed to support domestic hydrogen acceptance. The paper demonstrates that a future research agenda should account for the interactions between acceptance factors at the attitudinal socio-political market community and behavioral level. The analysis concludes that hydrogen is yet to permeate the public consciousness due to a lack of knowledge and awareness owing to an absence of information dissemination. In response consumer engagement in energy markets and stronger public trust in key stakeholders will help support social acceptance as the hydrogen transition unfolds. Affordability may prove the most critical barrier to the large-scale adoption of hydrogen homes while the disruptive impacts of the switchover and distributional injustice represent key concerns. As a starting point the promise of economic environmental and community benefits must be communicated and fulfilled to endorse the value of hydrogen homes.
HydroGenerally - Episode 2: Where Should Hydrogen Be Used?
Apr 2022
Publication
The Innovate UK KTN Hydrogen Innovation Network is bringing you this second episode with Steffan Eldred and Simon Buckley from Innovate UK KTN who continue their ‘back to basics' approach and delve deeper to understand where hydrogen should be used with their special guest Joanna Richart Head of Hydrogen Business at Ricardo. As with any technology or fuel discussions can get carried away implying they are the solution to all things but at Innovate UK KTN we strongly believe that we should ensure hydrogen is used where it can be most effective for decarbonising energy industrial and chemical industries.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Delivering an Energy Export Transition: Impact of Conflicting and Competing Informational Contexts on Public Acceptance of Australia's Hydrogen Export Industry
Mar 2024
Publication
This study uses an online quasi-experiment with a national sample from Australia to evaluate public acceptance of hydrogen exports. It explores the complex communications environment that messaging about hydrogen exports is typically encountered in. We find that acceptance of green hydrogen exports is significantly higher than blue or brown hydrogen exports and acceptance of blue hydrogen exports higher than brown hydrogen exports. Additionally results show economic-framed benefit messages are associated with lesser public acceptance when encountered in communication contexts that outline differently-focused environmental downsides (competing contexts) but not same-focused economic downsides (conflicting contexts). In contrast environment-framed benefit messages are associated with lesser public acceptance when presented in communication contexts that outline same-focused environmental downsides (conflicting contexts) but not differentlyfocused economic downsides (competing contexts). Overall the study indicates message framing can impact acceptance of hydrogen exports and that organisations should consider the informational context within which their communications will be received.
Synergies between Renewable Energy and Flexibility Investments: A Case of a Medium-Sized Industry
Nov 2021
Publication
Climate and energy policies are tools used to steer the development of a sustainable economy supplied by equally sustainable energy systems. End-users should plan their investments accounting for future policies such as incentives for system-oriented consumption emission prices and hydrogen economy to ensure long-term competitiveness. In this work the utilization of variable renewable energy and flexibility potentials in a case study of an an aggregate industry is investigated. An energy concept considering PV and battery expansion flexible production fuel cell electric trucks (FCEV) and hydrogen production is proposed and analysed under expected techno-economic conditions and policies of 2030 using an energy system optimization model. Under this concept total costs and emissions are reduced by 14% and 70% respectively compared to the business-as-usual system. The main benefit of PV investment is the lowered electricity procurement. Flexibility from schedule manufacturing and hydrogen production increases not only the self-consumption of PV generation from 51% to 80% but also the optimal PV capacity by 41%. Despite the expected cost reduction and efficiency improvement FCEV is still not competitive to diesel trucks due to higher investment and fuel prices i.e. its adoption increases the costs by 8%. However this is resolved when hydrogen can be produced from own surplus electricity generation. Our findings reveal synergistic effects between different potentials and the importance of enabling local business models e.g. regional hydrogen production and storage services. The SWOT analysis of the proposed concept shows that the pursuit of sustainability via new technologies entails new opportunities and risks. Lastly end-users and policymakers are advised to plan their investments and supports towards integration of multiple application consumption sectors and infrastructure.
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Observatory 2019 EU and National Policies Report
Sep 2021
Publication
The policy module of the FCHO presents an overview of EU and national policies across various hydrogen and fuel cell related sectors. It provides a snapshot of the current state of hydrogen legislation and policy. Scope: While FCHO covers 38 entities around the world due to the completeness of the data at the moment of writing this report covers 29 entities. The report reflects data collected January 2019 – December 2019. Key Findings: Hydrogen policies are relatively commonplace among European countries but with large differences between member states. EU hydrogen leaders do not lag behind global outliers such as South Korea or Japan.
Vision for a European Metrology Network for Energy Gases
Mar 2022
Publication
As Europe moves towards decarbonising its energy infrastructure new measurement needs will arise that require collaborative efforts between European National Metrology Institutes and Designated Institutes to tackle. Such measurement needs include flow metering of hydrogen or hydrogen enriched natural gas in the gas grid for billing quality assurance of hydrogen at refuelling stations and equations of state for carbon dioxide in carbon capture and storage facilities. The European metrology network for energy gases for the first time provides a platform where metrology institutes can work together to develop a harmonised strategy prioritise new challenges and share expertise and capabilities to support the European energy gas industry to meet stringent EU targets for climate change and emissions reductions
State-of-the-art Expansion Planning of Integrated Power, Natural Gas, and Hydrogen Systems
Apr 2022
Publication
Renewable hydrogen is considered key in the transition towards a carbon-neutral future. This is due to its spatio-temporal storage and sector coupling potential which has seen it referred to as energy vector. However many unresolved issues remain regarding hydrogen's large-scale deployment e.g. least-cost production optimal facility siting and overall implications on power and energy systems. Expansion planning provides an option to study these issues in the holistic context of energy systems. To this end this article presents a comprehensive review on state-of-the-art expansion planning models that consider integrated power natural gas and hydrogen systems. We cluster the existing literature in terms of modelling themes and scope study the applied systematic modelling characteristics and conduct an in-depth analysis of the technical model features regarding hydrogen technologies and natural gas infrastructure. Finally we identify and discuss research gaps in the existing literature.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Hydrogen 101
Aug 2019
Publication
A 10-minute tour of hydrogen industry technology and terminology for those who are new to the sector or who would simply like a quick review of the basics behind this burgeoning energy source.
Podcast can be found on their website
Podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Ending on a Hy Note
Jul 2021
Publication
This week's show is the last episode of Season 2! To celebrate we invited our friend and colleague Markus Wilthaner partner at McKinsey & Company to come speak with us. Markus has been a leader in the hydrogen space for the past ten years and has drafted a number of the Hydrogen Council's reports since its founding including the newly released - and highly anticipated - Hydrogen Insights 2021 (link below). In this episode we speak with Markus about the state of the market and the innovation he has seen in the last couple of years that make hydrogen a critical part of the energy transition. We had a lot of fun recording this interview and it was the perfect way to end a fantastic EAH season!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Masters of Scale: How to Build the Hydrogen Infrastructure of the Future
Oct 2020
Publication
On this week's episode the EAH team speaks with Prof. Armin Schnettler CEO of New Energy Business at Siemens Energy to talk about where green hydrogen solutions fit into the path to decarbonisation how companies like Siemens are looking at those solutions and working to scale them to meet future demand timelines for deployment in different markets how governments can help the private sector and much much more.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Optimal Integration of Hydrogen-Based Energy Storage Systems in Photovoltaic Microgrids: A Techno-Economic Assessment
Aug 2020
Publication
The feasibility and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen-based microgrids in facilities such as public buildings and small- and medium-sized enterprises provided by photovoltaic (PV) plants and characterized by low electric demand during weekends were investigated in this paper. Starting from the experience of the microgrid being built at the Renewable Energy Facility of Sardegna Ricerche (Italy) which among various energy production and storage systems includes a hydrogen storage system a modeling of the hydrogen-based microgrid was developed. The model was used to analyze the expected performance of the microgrid considering different load profiles and equipment sizes. Finally the microgrid cost-effectiveness was evaluated using a preliminary economic analysis. The results demonstrate that an effective design can be achieved with a PV system sized for an annual energy production 20% higher than the annual energy requested by the user and a hydrogen generator size 60% of the PV nominal power size. This configuration leads to a self-sufficiency rate of about 80% and without public grants a levelized cost of energy comparable with the cost of electricity in Italy can be achieved with a reduction of at least 25–40% of the current initial costs charged for the whole plant depending on the load profile shape.
Global Hydrogen Review 2021
Oct 2021
Publication
The Global Hydrogen Review is a new annual publication by the International Energy Agency to track progress in hydrogen production and demand as well as in other critical areas such as policy regulation investments innovation and infrastructure development.
The report is an output of the Clean Energy Ministerial Hydrogen Initiative (CEM H2I) and is intended to inform energy sector stakeholders on the status and future prospects of hydrogen while serving as an input to the discussions at the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting (HEM) organised by Japan. It examines what international progress on hydrogen is needed to help address climate change – and compares real-world developments with the stated ambitions of government and industry and with key actions under the Global Action Agenda launched at the HEM in 2019.
Focusing on hydrogen’s usefulness for meeting climate goals this Review aims to help decision makers fine-tune strategies to attract investment and facilitate deployment of hydrogen technologies while also creating demand for hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels.
Link to International Energy Agency website
The report is an output of the Clean Energy Ministerial Hydrogen Initiative (CEM H2I) and is intended to inform energy sector stakeholders on the status and future prospects of hydrogen while serving as an input to the discussions at the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting (HEM) organised by Japan. It examines what international progress on hydrogen is needed to help address climate change – and compares real-world developments with the stated ambitions of government and industry and with key actions under the Global Action Agenda launched at the HEM in 2019.
Focusing on hydrogen’s usefulness for meeting climate goals this Review aims to help decision makers fine-tune strategies to attract investment and facilitate deployment of hydrogen technologies while also creating demand for hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels.
Link to International Energy Agency website
Renewable Hydrogen Economy Outlook in Africa
Jun 2022
Publication
Hydrogen presents an opportunity for Africa to not only decarbonise its own energy use and enable clean energy access for all but also to export renewable energy. This paper developed a framework for assessing renewable resources for hydrogen production and provides a new critical analysis as to how and what role hydrogen can play in the complex African energy landscape. The regional solar wind CSP and bio hydrogen potential ranges from 366 to 1311 Gt/year 162 to 1782 Gt/year 463 to 2738 Gt/year and 0.03 to 0.06 Gt/year respectively. The water availability and sensitivity results showed that the water shortages in some countries can be abated by importing water from regions with high renewable water resources. A techno-economic comparative analysis indicated that a high voltage direct current (HVDC) system presents the most cost-effective transportation system with overall costs per kg hydrogen of 0.038 $/kg followed by water pipeline with 0.084 $/kg seawater desalination 0.1 $/kg liquified hydrogen tank truck 0.12 $/kg compressed hydrogen pipeline 0.16 $/kg liquefied ammonia pipeline 0.38 $/kg liquefied ammonia tank truck 0.60 $/kg and compressed hydrogen tank truck with 0.77 $/kg. The results quantified the significance of economies of scale due to cost effectiveness of systems such as compressed hydrogen pipeline and liquefied hydrogen tank truck systems when hydrogen production is scaled up. Decentralization is favorable under some constraints e.g. compressed hydrogen and liquefied ammonia tank truck systems will be more cost effective below 800 km and 1400 km due to lower investment and operation costs.
Agreement for the Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Business Model
Dec 2022
Publication
The Heads of Terms for the Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement sets out the government’s proposal for the final hydrogen production business model design. It will form the basis of the Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement the business model contract between the government appointed counterparty and a low carbon hydrogen producer.<br/>The business model will provide revenue support to hydrogen producers to overcome the operating cost gap between low carbon hydrogen and high carbon fuels. It has been designed to incentivise investment in low carbon hydrogen production and use and in doing so deliver the government’s ambition of up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.
US-UK Scientific Forum on Sustainable Energy: Electrical Storage in Support of the Grid, Forum Report
Sep 2022
Publication
The effort to meet the ambitious targets of the Paris agreement is challenging many governments. The US and UK governments might have different approaches to achieving the targets but both will rely heavily on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to power their economies. However these sources of power are unpredictable and ways will have to be developed to store renewable energy for hours days weeks seasons and maybe even years before it is used. As the disruptive and increasingly deadly impacts of climate change are being felt across the world the need to move to more sustainable sources of energy and to identify viable ways to store that energy has never been more important.<br/>This was the subject of the US–UK Science Forum on electrical storage in support of the grid which was held online from 17 – 18 March 2021. Co-organised by the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences it brought together a diverse group of 60 scientists policy makers industry leaders regulators and other key stakeholders for a wide-ranging discussion on all aspects of energy storage from the latest research in the field to the current status of deployment. It also considered the current national and international economic and policy contexts in which these developments are taking place. A number of key points emerged from the discussion. First it is clear that renewable energy will play an increasingly important role in the US and UK energy systems of the future and energy storage at a multi-terawatt hour scale has a vital role to play. Of course this will evolve differently to some extent in both countries and elsewhere according to the various geographical technological economic political social and regulatory environments. Second international collaboration is critical – no single nation will solve this problem alone. As two of the world’s leading scientific nations largest economies and per capita CO2 emitters with a long track record of collaboration the US and UK are well placed to play a vital role in addressing this critical challenge. As the discussion highlighted a wide range of energy storage technologies are now emerging and becoming increasingly available many of which have the potential to be critical components of a future net-zero energy system. A crucial next phase is in ensuring that these are technically developed as well as economically and political viable. This will require the support of a wide range of these potential solutions to ensure that their benefits remain widely available and to avoid costly ‘lock-in’. Scientists and science academies have a critical role to play in analysing technology options their combinations and their potential roles in future sustainable energy systems and in working with policymakers to incentivise investment and deployment.
Chile and its Potential Role Among the Most Affordable Green Hydrogen Producers in the World
Jul 2022
Publication
As result of the adverse effects caused by climate change the nations have decided to accelerate the transition of the energy matrix through the use of non-conventional sources free of polluting emissions. One of these alternatives is green hydrogen. In this context Chile stands out for the exceptional climate that makes it a country with a lot of renewable resources. Such availability of resources gives the nation clear advantages for hydrogen production strong gusts of wind throughout the country the most increased solar radiation in the world lower cost of production of electrical supplies among others. Due to this the nation would be between the lowest estimated cost for hydrogen production i.e. 1.5 USD/kg H2 approximately scenario that would place it as one of the cheapest green hydrogen producer in the world.
Building the Green Hydrogen Market - Current State and Outlook on Green Hydrogen Demand and Electrolyzer Manufacturing
Jul 2022
Publication
Over the past two years requirements to meet climate targets have been intensified. In addition to the tightening of the climate targets and the demand for net-zero achievement by as early as 2045 there have been discussions on implementing and realizing these goals. Hydrogen has emerged as a promising climate-neutral energy carrier. Thus over the last 1.5 years more than 25 countries have published hydrogen roadmaps. Furthermore various studies by different authorities have been released to support the development of a hydrogen economy. This paper examines published studies and hydrogen country roadmaps as part of a meta-analysis. Furthermore a market analysis of electrolyzer manufacturers is conducted. The prospected demand for green hydrogen from various studies is compared to electrolyzer manufacturing capacities and selected green hydrogen projects to identify potential market ramp-up scenarios and to evaluate if green hydrogen demand forecasts can be filled.
Reducing the Cost of Low-carbon Hydrogen Production via Emerging Chemical Looping Process
Jan 2023
Publication
A thorough techno-economic analysis where inherent carbon capture is examined against state-of-the-art blue hydrogen production configurations for large (100000 Nm3 /h) and very large (333000 Nm3 /h) capacities. Advanced solvent-based technologies based on post-combustion capture and auto-thermal reformer combined with a gas heated reformer are simulated with process flowsheet software and compared with the emerging chemical looping process. A network of dynamically operated packed bed reactors has been designed and modelled using an in-house code and key parameters generating uncertainties in the results have been examined in a sensitivity analysis. The chemical looping reforming process presents a higher net reforming efficiency than the benchmark cases (8.2 % higher at large scale and 1.5 % higher at very large scale) ranged 75.4–75.7 % while the specific energy for CO2 avoidance is negative in the range of − 0.78 to − 0.85 MJ/kgCO2. In the carbon capture cases the chemical looping reforming in packed beds technology generated a levelised cost of hydrogen of 168.9 £/kNm3 H2 for the large scale and 159.1 £/kNm3 H2 for the very large scale with the values for the benchmark cases being higher at 196.4 and 166.6 £/kNm3 H2 respectively while the levelised cost of hydrogen values are 1 % higher in the benchmark cases where carbon emission price is accounted for. The carbon capture ratio is 99.9 % for the chemical looping reforming cases compared to 90–91 % for the benchmark ones thus providing a significant foreground for the scale-up and implementation of chemical looping reforming technologies for hydrogen production.
The Significance of Formal & Legal Factors in Selecting a Location for a Hydrogen Buffer to Stabilize the Operation of Power Distribution Networks
Oct 2022
Publication
This article presents the conceptual assumptions for the process of identifying and evaluating the formal & legal factors that impact the choice of a hydrogen buffer location to stabilize the operation of power distribution networks. The assumption for the research process was establishing a methodological framework for an in-depth analysis of legislative acts (the EU legislation and the national law) to enable identification of synthetic groups of formal & legal factors to be further analyzed using the DEMATEL method. As a result the cause-and-effect relations between the variables were examined and an in-depth analysis was carried out to investigate the level of impact of the formal & legal factors on the functioning and location of a hydrogen energy buffer.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: 'Having Hydrogen for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner'
Apr 2023
Publication
On today’s show Chris Patrick and Alicia speak with Petra Schwager from UNIDO about her work promoting global green hydrogen development with particular emphasis on the Global South.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Energy-Economic Assessment of Islanded Microgrid with Wind Turbine, Photovoltaic Field, Wood Gasifier, Battery, and Hydrogen Energy Storage
Sep 2022
Publication
Island energy systems are becoming an important part of energy transformation due to the growing needs for the penetration of renewable energy. Among the possible systems a combination of different energy generation technologies is a viable option for local users as long as energy storage is implemented. The presented paper describes an energy-economic assessment of an island system with a photovoltaic field small wind turbine wood chip gasifier battery and hydrogen circuit with electrolyzer and fuel cell. The system is designed to satisfy the electrical energy demand of a tourist facility in two European localizations. The operation of the system is developed and dynamically simulated in the Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) environment taking into account realistic user demand. The results show that in Gdansk Poland it is possible to satisfy 99% of user demand with renewable energy sources with excess energy equal to 31% while in Agkistro Greece a similar result is possible with 43% of excess energy. Despite the high initial costs it is possible to obtain Simple Pay Back periods of 12.5 and 22.5 years for Gdansk and Agkistro respectively. This result points out that under a high share of renewables in the energy demand of the user the profitability of the system is highly affected by the local cost of energy vectors. The achieved results show that the system is robust in providing energy to the users and that future development may lead to an operation based fully on renewables.
What Can Accelerate Technological Convergence of Hydrogen Energy: A Regional Perspective
Jun 2023
Publication
Focusing on technological innovation and convergence is crucial for utilizing hydrogen energy an emerging infrastructure area. This research paper analyzes the extent of technological capabilities in a region that could accelerate the occurrence of technological convergence in the fields related to hydrogen energy through the use of triadic patents their citation information and their regional information. The results of the Bayesian spatial model indicate that the active exchange of diverse original technologies could facilitate technological convergence in the region. On the other hand it is difficult to achieve regional convergence with regard to radical technology. The findings could shed light on the establishment of an R&D strategy for hydrogen technologies. This study could contribute to the dissemination and utilization of hydrogen technologies for sustainable industrial development.
Industrial Status, Technological Progress, Challenges, and Prospects of Hydrogen Energy
Apr 2022
Publication
Under the requirements of China's strategic goal of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" as a renewable clean and efficient secondary energy source hydrogen benefits from abundant resources a wide variety of sources a high combustion calorific value clean and non-polluting various forms of utilization energy storage mediums and good security etc. It will become a realistic way to help energy transportation petrochemical and other fields to achieve deep decarbonization and will turn into an important replacement energy source for China to build a modern clean energy system. It is clear that accelerating the development of hydrogen energy has become a global consensus. In order to provide a theoretical support for the accelerated transformation of hydrogen-related industries and energy companies and provide a basis and reference for the construction of "Hydrogen Energy China" this paper describes main key technological progresses in the hydrogen industry chain such as hydrogen production storage transportation and application. The status and development trends of hydrogen industrialization are analyzed and then the challenges faced by the development of the hydrogen industry are discussed. At last the development and future of the hydrogen industry are prospected. The following conclusions are achieved. (1) Hydrogen technologies of our country will become mature and enter the road of industrialization. The whole industry chain system of the hydrogen industry is gradually being formed and will realize the leap-forward development from gray hydrogen blue hydrogen to green hydrogen. (2) The overall development of the entire hydrogen industry chain such as hydrogen production storage and transportation fuel cells hydrogen refueling stations and other scenarios should be accelerated. Besides in-depth integration and coordination with the oil and gas industry needs more attention which will rapidly promote the high-quality development of the hydrogen industry system. (3) The promotion and implementation of major projects such as "north-east hydrogen transmission" "west-east hydrogen transmission" "sea hydrogen landing" and utilization of infrastructures such as gas filling stations can give full play to the innate advantages of oil and gas companies in industrial chain nodes such as hydrogen production and refueling etc. which can help to achieve the application of "oil gas hydrogen and electricity" four-station joint construction form a nationwide hydrogen resource guarantee system and accelerate the planning and promotion of the "Hydrogen Energy China" strategy.
The Role of Renewable Energies, Storage and Sector-Coupling Technologies in the German Energy Sector under Different CO2 Emission Restrictions
Aug 2022
Publication
This study aimed to simulate the sector-coupled energy system of Germany in 2030 with the restriction on CO2 emission levels and to observe how the system evolves with decreasing emissions. Moreover the study presented an analysis of the interconnection between electricity heat and hydrogen and how technologies providing flexibility will react when restricting CO2 emissions levels. This investigation has not yet been carried out with the technologies under consideration in this study. It shows how the energy system behaves under different set boundaries of CO2 emissions and how the costs and technologies change with different emission levels. The study results show that the installed capacities of renewable technologies constantly increase with higher limitations on emissions. However their usage rates decreases with low CO2 emission levels in response to higher curtailed energy. The sector-coupled technologies behave differently in this regard. Heat pumps show similar behaviour while the electrolysers usage rate increases with more renewable energy penetration. The system flexibility is not primarily driven by the hydrogen sector but in low CO2 emission level scenarios the flexibility shifts towards the heating sector and electrical batteries.
Comparative Levelized Cost Analysis of Transmitting Renewable Solar Energy
Feb 2023
Publication
A bottom-up cost analysis for delivering utility-scale PV-generated electricity as hydrogen through pipelines and as electricity through power is undertaken. Techno-economic generation and demand data for California are used to calculate the levelized cost of transmitting (LCOT) energy and the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) prior to distribution. High-voltage levels of 230 kV and 500 kV and 24-inch and 36-inch pipelines for 100 to 700 miles of transmission are considered. At 100 miles of transmission the cost of transmission between each medium is comparable. At longer distances the pipeline scenarios become increasingly cheaper at low utilization levels. The all-electric pathways utilizing battery energy storage systems can meet 95% of the load for as low as 356 USD/MWh whereas when meeting 100% of load with the hydrogen gas turbine and fuel cell pathways the costs are 278 and 322 USD/MWh respectively.
Strategic Policy Targets and the Contribution of Hydrogen in a 100% Renewable European Power System
Jul 2021
Publication
The goal of the European energy policy is to achieve climate neutrality. The long-term energy strategies of various European countries include additional targets such as the diversification of energy sources maintenance of security of supply and reduction of import dependency. When optimizing energy systems these strategic policy targets are often only considered in a rudimentary manner and thus the understanding of the corresponding interdependencies is lacking. Moreover hydrogen is considered as a key component of a fully decarbonized energy system but its role in the power sector remains unclear due to the low round-trip efficiencies. This study reveals how fully decarbonized European power systems can benefit from hydrogen in terms of overall system costs and the achievement of strategic policy targets. We analyzed a broad spectrum of scenarios using an energy system optimization model and varied model constraints that reflect strategic policy targets. Our results are threefold. First compared to power systems without hydrogen systems using hydrogen realize savings of 14–16% in terms of the total system costs. Second the implementation of a hydrogen infrastructure reduces the number of infeasible scenarios when structural policy targets are considered within the power system. Third the role of hydrogen is highly diverse at a national level. Particularly in countries with low renewable energy potential hydrogen plays a crucial role. Here high levels of self-sufficiency and security of supply are achieved by deploying hydrogen-based power generation of up to 46% of their annual electricity demand realized via imports of green hydrogen.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Hydrogen Requirement to Minimize Seasonal Variability in Future Solar and Wind Energy in South Korea
Nov 2022
Publication
Renewable energy supply is essential for carbon neutrality; however technologies aiming to optimally utilize renewable energy sources remain insufficient. Seasonal variability in renewable energy is a key issue which many studies have attempted to overcome through operating systems and energy storage. Currently hydrogen is the only technology that can solve this seasonal storage problem. In this study the amount of hydrogen required to circumvent the seasonal variability in renewable energy supply in Korea was quantified. Spatiotemporal analysis was conducted using renewable energy resource maps and power loads. It was predicted that 50% of the total power demand in the future will be met using solar and wind power and a scenario was established based on the solar-to-wind ratio. It was found that the required hydrogen production differed by approximately four-times depending on the scenarios highlighting the importance of supplying renewable energy at an appropriate ratio. Spatially wind power was observed to be unsuitable for the physical transport of hydrogen because it has a high potential at mountain peaks and islands. The results of this study are expected to aid future hydrogen research and solve renewable energy variability problems.
Clean Technology Selection of Hydrogen Production on an Industrial Scale in Morocco
Nov 2022
Publication
Sustainable hydrogen production is a priority for Morocco and it’s part of the country’s national energy strategy which is currently being developed. Many processes can be used for its production. However it’s necessary to select the appropriate one for Morocco’s case. In this study a multi-criteria analysis was followed to select the best clean and renewable catalytic process for hydrogen production on an industrial scale. Ten routes were evaluated using the AHP method coupled with the Fuzzy Vikor method for criteria weighting and ranking of alternatives respectively. The results showed that alkaline water electrolysis coupled with renewable energy sources is the most suitable for industrial production in Morocco. The processes that are not well ranked and require further study and development before deployment on an industrial scale are biophotolysis photo fermentation photolysis and thermolysis. The parametric sensitivity analysis performed validated the result obtained. Then the potential for hydrogen production using solar energy is investigated. It was found that Morocco can produce 1057.26 million tons of green hydrogen showing how attractive the selected catalytic process is. This study enables investors and decision-makers to make an informed decision about whether to develop a green hydrogen production industrial installation in Morocco.
A Simulated Roadmap of Hydrogen Technology Contribution to Climate Change Mitigation Based on Representative Concentration Pathways Considerations
Apr 2018
Publication
Hydrogen as fuel has been a promising technology toward climate change mitigation efforts. To this end in this paper we analyze the contribution of hydrogen technology to our future environmental goals. It is assumed that hydrogen is being produced in higher efficiency across time and this is simulated on Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM). The environmental restrictions applied are the expected emissions representative concentration pathways (RCP) 2.6 4.5 and 6.0. Our results have shown increasing hydrogen production as the environmental constraints become stricter and hydrogen more efficient in being produced. This increase has been quantified and provided on open access as Supporting Information to this manuscript.
Analysis of the Polish Hydrogen Strategy in the Context of the EU’s Strategic Documents on Hydrogen
Oct 2021
Publication
In December 2019 the European Commission unveiled an ambitious project the European Green Deal which aims to lead the European Union to climate neutrality by 2050. This is a significant challenge for all EU countries and especially for Poland. The role of hydrogen in the processes of decarbonization of the economy and transport is being discussed in many countries around the world to find rational solutions to this difficult and complex problem. There is an ongoing discussion about the hydrogen economy which covers the production of hydrogen its storage transport and conversion to the desired forms of energy primarily electricity mechanical energy and new fuels. The development of the hydrogen economy can significantly support the achievement of climate neutrality. The belief that hydrogen plays an important role in the transformation of the energy sector is widespread. There are many technical and economic challenges as well as legal and logistical barriers to deal with in the transition process. The development of hydrogen technologies and a global sustainable energy system that uses hydrogen offers a real opportunity to solve the challenges facing the global energy industry: meeting the need for clean fuels increasing the efficiency of fuel and energy production and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The paper provides an in-depth analysis of the Polish Hydrogen Strategy a document that sets out the directions for the development of hydrogen use (competences and technologies) in the energy transport and industrial sectors. This analysis is presented against the background of the European Commission’s document ‘A Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe’. The draft project presented is a good basis for further discussion on the directions of development of the Polish economy. The Polish Hydrogen Strategy although it was created later than the EU document does not fully follow its guidelines. The directions for further work on the hydrogen strategy are indicated so that its final version can become a driving force for the development of the country’s economy.
Sector Coupling via Hydrogen to Lower the Cost of Energy System Decarbonization
Aug 2021
Publication
There is growing interest in using hydrogen (H2) as a long-duration energy storage resource in a future electric grid dominated by variable renewable energy (VRE) generation. Modeling H2 use exclusively for grid-scale energy storage often referred to as ‘‘power-to-gas-to-power (P2G2P)’’ overlooks the cost-sharing and CO2 emission benefits from using the deployed H2 assets to decarbonize other end-use sectors where direct electrification is challenging. Here we develop a generalized framework for co-optimizing infrastructure investments across the electricity and H2 supply chains accounting for the spatio-temporal variations in energy demand and supply. We apply this sector-coupling framework to the U.S. Northeast under a range of technology cost and carbon price scenarios and find greater value of power-to-H2 (P2G) vs. P2G2P routes. Specifically P2G provides grid flexibility to support VRE integration without the round-trip efficiency penalty and additional cost incurred by P2G2P routes. This form of sector coupling leads to: (a) VRE generation increase by 13–56% and (b) total system cost (and levelized costs of energy) reduction by 7–16% under deep decarbonization scenarios. Both effects increase as H2 demand for other end-uses increases more than doubling for a 97% decarbonization scenario as H2 demand quadruples. We also find that the grid flexibility enabled by sector coupling makes deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for power generation less cost-effective than its use for low-carbon H2 production. These findings highlight the importance of using an integrated energy system framework with multiple energy vectors in planning cost-effective energy system decarbonization
Green Hydrogen and Energy Transition: Current State and Prospects in Portugal
Jan 2023
Publication
Hydrogen is a promising commodity a renewable secondary energy source and feedstock alike to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets and promote economic decarbonization. A common goal pursued by many countries the hydrogen economy receives a blending of public and private capital. After European Green Deal state members created national policies focused on green hydrogen. This paper presents a study of energy transition considering green hydrogen production to identify Portugal’s current state and prospects. The analysis uses energy generation data hydrogen production aspects CO2 emissions indicators and based costs. A comprehensive simulation estimates the total production of green hydrogen related to the ratio of renewable generation in two different scenarios. Then a comparison between EGP goals and Portugal’s transport and energy generation prospects is made. Portugal has an essential renewable energy matrix that supports green hydrogen production and allows for meeting European green hydrogen 2030–2050 goals. Results suggest that promoting the conversion of buses and trucks into H2-based fuel is better for CO2 reduction. On the other hand given energy security thermoelectric plants fueled by H2 are the best option. The aggressive scenario implies at least 5% more costs than the moderate scenario considering economic aspects.
Use of Hydrogen as Fuel: A Trend of the 21st Century
Jan 2022
Publication
The unbridled use of fossil fuels is a serious problem that has become increasingly evident over the years. As such fuels contribute considerably to environmental pollution there is a need to find new sustainable sources of energy with low emissions of greenhouse gases. Climate change poses a substantial challenge for the scientific community. Thus the use of renewable energy through technologies that offer maximum efficiency with minimal pollution and carbon emissions has become a major goal. Technology related to the use of hydrogen as a fuel is one of the most promising solutions for future systems of clean energy. The aim of the present review was to provide an overview of elements related to the potential use of hydrogen as an alternative energy source considering its specific chemical and physical characteristics as well as prospects for an increase in the participation of hydrogen fuel in the world energy matrix.
Challenges in the Decarbonization of the Energy Sector
Jun 2020
Publication
In order to limit the effects of climate change the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the energy sector need to be reduced. Significant reductions can be achieved by using appropriate technologies and policies. In the context of recent discussions about climate change and energy transition this article critically reviews some technologies policies and frequently discussed solutions. The options for carbon emission reductions are grouped into (1) generation of secondary energy carriers (2) end-use energy sectors and (3) sector interdependencies. The challenges on the way to a decarbonized energy sector are identified with respect to environmental sustainability security of energy supply economic stability and social aspects. A global carbon tax is the most promising instrument to accelerate the process of decarbonization. Nevertheless this process will be very challenging for humanity due to high capital requirements the competition among energy sectors for decarbonization options inconsistent environmental policies and public acceptance of changes in energy use.
Clean or Renewable – Hydrogen and Power-to-gas in EU Energy Law
Aug 2020
Publication
Interest in hydrogen as a carbon-neutral energy carrier is on the rise around the globe including in Europe. In particular power-to-gas as a technology to transform electricity to hydrogen is receiving ample attention. This article scrutinises current updates in the energy law framework of the EU to explain the legal pre-conditions for the various possible applications of power-to-gas technology. It highlights the influence of both electricity and gas legislation on conversion storage and transmission of hydrogen and demonstrates why ‘green’ hydrogen might come with certain legal privileges under the Renewable Energy Directive attached to it as opposed to the European Commission’s so-called ‘clean’ hydrogen. The article concludes by advocating for legal system integration in EU energy law namely merging the currently distinct EU electricity and gas law frameworks into one unified EU Energy Act.
Renewable Energy, Carbon Capture & Sequestration and Hydrogen Solutions as Enabling Technologies for Reduced CO2 Energy Transition at a National Level: An Application to the 2030 Italian National Energy Scenarios
Dec 2022
Publication
Globally climate change fossil fuel depletion and greenhouse emissions are fundamental problems requiring massive effort from the international scientific community to be addressed and solved. Following the Clean Energy for all Europeans Package (CEP) guidelines the Italian Government has established challenging and tight objectives both on energy and climate matter to be targeted by 2030. Accordingly research activities on different topics are carried out in Italy looking at the installation of intermittent renewable energy systems (IRES) implementation of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) on existing power plants and hydrogen technology and infrastructure penetration for accomplishing the end-users demands. The optimal integration of the above-mentioned technologies is one of the most effective weapons to address these objectives. The paper investigates different energy scenarios for meeting the Italian National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) 2030 targets showing how the combined implementation of around +12 GW of IRES and +6 GW of electrolyzers compared to the national estimates simultaneously with the CCS of around 10 Mt of CO2 per year can reduce the CO2 emissions up to about 247 Mt/year. Thanks to the adoption of the well-established software platform EnergyPlan the integration of IRES plants CCS and hydrogen-based technologies have been explored and the most successful results for concurrently reducing the impact of industrial transport residential and energy sectors and mitigating the greenhouse emissions substantially relies on the diversifications. Results show both the technical and economic convenience of a 2030 energy scenario which implements properly hydrogen IRES and CCS penetration in the energy system meeting the NECP 2030 targets and maintaining both the over-generation of the power plants below 5 TWh and the initial capital expenditure to be sustained for this scenario to occur below +80% compared to the 2019 energy scenario.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Decarbonising the Gas Grid with Cadent
Mar 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team are talking all things hydrogen with Lorna Millington Future Networks Manager in the Safety and Network Strategy team at Cadent. On the show we discuss the role that Cadent and other gas distribution network operators (GDNOs) are playing in supporting the transition towards a low (and eventually zero) carbon gas grid through the use of hydrogen. The potential for hydrogen to support decarbonisation of heat through the gas network is one of the most exciting emerging themes for countries that have large existing gas networks and who are looking to repurpose those assets towards national net zero objectives. As a leader on hydrogen into the gas grid projects Cadent offer a wealth of knowledge around the potential opportunities and considerations for displacing natural gas with hydrogen over time. And given the chance to reduce up to 6 million tonnes of CO2 a year through using more hydrogen in the gas grid this is a show you won’t want to miss! All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Between Hope And Hype: A Hydrogen Vision For The UK
Mar 2021
Publication
There is a growing conversation around the role that hydrogen can play in the future of the UK and how to best harness its potential to secure jobs show climate leadership promote industrial competitiveness and drive innovation. The Government’s ‘Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’ included hydrogen as one of its ten actions targeting 5GW of ‘low carbon’ hydrogen production by 2030. Britain is thus joining the EU US Japan Germany and a host of other countries seeking to be part of the hydrogen economy of the future.<br/><br/>A focus on clean green hydrogen within targeted sectors and hubs can support multiple Government goals – including demonstrating climate leadership reducing regional inequalities through the ‘levelling up’ agenda and ensuring a green and cost-effective recovery from the coronavirus pandemic which prioritises jobs and skills. A strategic hydrogen vision must be honest and recognise where green hydrogen does not present the optimal pathway for decarbonisation – for instance where alternative solutions are already readily available for roll-out are more efficient and cost-effective. A clear example is hydrogen use for heating where it is estimated to require around 30 times more offshore wind farm capacity than currently available to produce enough green hydrogen to replace all gas boilers as well as adding costs for consumers.<br/><br/>This paper considers the offer of hydrogen for key Government priorities – including an inclusive and resilient economic recovery from the pandemic demonstrating climate leadership and delivering for all of society across the UK. It assesses existing evidence and considers the risks and opportunities and how they might inform a strategic vision for the UK. Ahead of the forthcoming Hydrogen Strategy it sets expectations for Government and outlines key recommendations.
Uncomfortable Home Truths - Why Britain Urgently Needs a Low Carbon Heat Strategy Future Gas Series Part 3
Nov 2019
Publication
UK homes are primarily heated by fossil fuels and contribute 13% of UK’s carbon footprint (equivalent to all the UK’s 38.4m cars). The report says this is incompatible with UK climate legislation targeting net-zero economy by 2050. New polling finds that consumers are open to cleaner greener ways to heat their homes into the future but that they are “still in the dark about smarter greener heating solutions and lack access to independent advice to help them make better decisions for their homes pockets and the planet”.<br/><br/>The report – Uncomfortable Home Truths: why Britain urgently needs a low carbon heat strategy – says a bold new national roadmap is needed by 2020 which puts consumers and households at the heart of a revolution in green heat innovation. It recommends the creation of an Olympic-style delivery body to catalyse and coordinate regional innovation and local leadership tailored to different parts of the UK and the nation’s diverse housing stock.<br/><br/>This report is the third in the Future Gas Series which has explored the opportunities and challenges associated with using low carbon gas in the energy system and is backed by cross-party parliamentary co-Chairs
How Green Are the National Hydrogen Strategies?
Feb 2022
Publication
Since Japan promulgated the world’s first national hydrogen strategy in 2017 28 national (or regional in the case of the EU) hydrogen strategies have been issued by major world economies. As carbon emissions vary with different types of hydrogen and only green hydrogen produced from renewable energy can be zero-emissions fuel this paper interrogates the commitment of the national hydrogen strategies to achieve decarbonization objectives focusing on the question “how green are the national hydrogen strategies?” We create a typology of regulatory stringency for green hydrogen in national hydrogen strategies analyzing the text of these strategies and their supporting policies and evaluating their regulatory stringency toward decarbonization. Our typology includes four parameters fossil fuel penalties hydrogen certifications innovation enablement and the temporal dimension of coal phasing out. Following the typology we categorize the national hydrogen strategies into three groups: zero regulatory stringency scale first and clean later and green hydrogen now. We find that most national strategies are of the type “scale first and clean later” with one or more regulatory measures in place. This article identifies further challenges to enhancing regulatory stringency for green hydrogen at both national and international levels.
The Economics and the Environmental Benignity of Different Colors of Hydrogen
Feb 2022
Publication
Due to the increasing greenhouse gas emissions as well as due to the rapidly increasing use of renewable energy sources in the electricity generation over the last years interest in hydrogen is rising again. Hydrogen can be used as a storage for renewable energy balancing the whole energy systems and contributing to the decarbonization of the energy system especially of the industry and the transport sector. The major objective of this paper is to discuss various ways of hydrogen production depending on the primary energy sources used. Moreover the economic and environmental performance of three major hydrogen colors as well as major barriers for faster deployment in fuel cell vehicles are analyzed. The major conclusion is that the full environmental benefits of hydrogen use are highly dependent on the hydrogen production methods and primary sources used. Only green hydrogen with electricity from wind PV and hydro has truly low emissions. All other sources like blue hydrogen with CCUS or electrolysis using the electricity grid have substantially higher emissions coming close to grey hydrogen production. Another conclusion is that it is important to introduce an international market for hydrogen to lower costs and to produce hydrogen where conditions are best. Finally the major open question remaining is whether e including all external costs of all energy carriers hydrogen of any color may become economically competitive in any sector of the energy system. The future success of hydrogen is very dependent on technological development and resulting cost reductions as well as on future priorities and the corresponding policy framework. The policy framework should support the shift from grey to green hydrogen.
Techno-Economic Analysis of a Novel Hydrogen-Based Hybrid Renewable Energy System for Both Grid-Tied and Off-Grid Power Supply in Japan: The Case of Fukushima Prefecture
Jun 2020
Publication
After the Great East Japan Earthquake energy security and vulnerability have become critical issues facing the Japanese energy system. The integration of renewable energy sources to meet specific regional energy demand is a promising scenario to overcome these challenges. To this aim this paper proposes a novel hydrogen-based hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) in which hydrogen fuel can be produced using both the methods of solar electrolysis and supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of biomass feedstock. The produced hydrogen is considered to function as an energy storage medium by storing renewable energy until the fuel cell converts it to electricity. The proposed HRES is used to meet the electricity demand load requirements for a typical household in a selected residential area located in Shinchi-machi in Fukuoka prefecture Japan. The techno-economic assessment of deploying the proposed systems was conducted using an integrated simulation-optimization modeling framework considering two scenarios: (1) minimization of the total cost of the system in an off-grid mode and (2) maximization of the total profit obtained from using renewable electricity and selling surplus solar electricity to the grid considering the feed-in-tariff (FiT) scheme in a grid-tied mode. As indicated by the model results the proposed HRES can generate about 47.3 MWh of electricity in all scenarios which is needed to meet the external load requirement in the selected study area. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of the system in scenarios 1 and 2 was estimated at 55.92 JPY/kWh and 56.47 JPY/kWh respectively
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: A New Hope for Hydrogen?
Apr 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team discuss the Hydrogen Council the global stakeholder forum that has been at the forefront of efforts to advance the role of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies globally. We are excited to have as our guests Pierre-Etienne Franc Vice President for the Hydrogen Energy World Business Unit at Air Liquide and Stephan Herbst General Manager at Toyota Motor Europe. On the show we discuss why Air Liquide and Toyota decided to engage with the Council its strategy vision and perspective on the role that hydrogen can play in the energy transition and how companies can work with policymakers to enable this process. All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Development of Renewable Energy Multi-energy Complementary Hydrogen Energy System (A Case Study in China): A Review
Aug 2020
Publication
The hydrogen energy system based on the multi-energy complementary of renewable energy can improve the consumption of renewable energy reduce the adverse impact on the power grid system and has the characteristics of green low carbon sustainable etc. which is currently a global research hotspot. Based on the basic principles of hydrogen production technology this paper introduces the current hydrogen energy system topology and summarizes the technical advantages of renewable energy complementary hydrogen production and the complementary system energy coordination forms. The problems that have been solved or reached consensus are summarized and the current status of hydrogen energy system research at home and abroad is introduced in detail. On this basis the key technologies of multi-energy complementation of hydrogen energy system are elaborated especially in-depth research and discussion on coordinated control strategies energy storage and capacity allocation energy management and electrolysis water hydrogen production technology. The development trend of the multi-energy complementary system and the hydrogen energy industry chain is also presented which provides a reference for the development of hydrogen production technology and hydrogen energy utilization of the renewable energy complementary system.
A Multi-objective MILP Model for the Design and Operation of Future Integrated Multi-vector Energy Networks Capturing Detailed Spatio-temporal Dependencies
Dec 2017
Publication
A multi-objective optimisation model based on mixed integer linear programming is presented that can simultaneously determine the design and operation of any integrated multi-vector energy networks. It can answer variants of the following questions: What is the most effective way in terms of cost value/profit and/or emissions of designing and operating the integrated multi-vector energy networks that utilise a variety of primary energy sources to deliver different energy services such as heat electricity and mobility given the availability of primary resources and the levels of demands and their distribution across space and time? When to invest in technologies where to locate them; what resources should be used where when and how to convert them to the energy services required; how to transport the resources and manage inventory? Scenarios for Great Britain were examined involving different primary energy sources such as natural gas biomass and wind power in order to satisfy demands for heat electricity and mobility via various energy vectors such as electricity natural gas hydrogen and syngas. Different objectives were considered such as minimising cost maximising profit minimising emissions and maximising renewable energy production subject to the availability of suitable land for biomass and wind turbines as well as the maximum local production and import rates for natural gas. Results suggest that if significant mobility demands are met by hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles then hydrogen is the preferred energy vector over natural gas for satisfying heat demands. If natural gas is not used and energy can only be generated from wind power and biomass electricity and syngas are the preferred energy carriers for satisfying electricity and heat demands.
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