Policy & Socio-Economics

This Hydrogen Roadmap aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for the full development of renewable hydrogen in Spain providing a series of measures aimed at boosting investment action taking advantage of the European consensus on the role that this energy vector should play in the context of green recovery. This Roadmap is therefore aligned with the 2021 Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy published by the European Commission which identifies the future Recovery and Resilience Mechanism as an opportunity to create emblematic areas of action at European level making two of these areas of action (Power up and Recharge and Refuel) an explicit mention of the development of renewable hydrogen in the European Union.

Our mission is to put the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles and for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. As set out in the NO2 plan we will end the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040. By then we expect the majority of new cars and vans sold to be 100% zero emission and all new cars and vans to have significant zero emission capability. By 2050 we want almost every car and van to be zero emission. We want to see at least 50% and as many as 70% of new car sales and up to 40% of new van sales being ultra low emission by 2030.<br/>We expect this transition to be industry and consumer led supported in the coming years by the measures set out in this strategy. We will review progress towards our ambitions by 2025. Against a rapidly evolving international context we will seek to maintain the UK’s leadership position and meet our ambitions and will consider what interventions are required if not enough progress is being made.

Since early 2020 Turkey has been considering the role of hydrogen in its energy future with a view to producing a hydrogen strategy in the next few months.  Unlike many other countries considering the role of hydrogen Turkey has only recently (October 2021) ratified the Paris Agreement addressing climate change and its interest is driven more by geopolitical strategic and energy security concerns.   Specifically with concerns about the high share of imported energy particularly gas from Russia it sees hydrogen as part of a policy to increase indigenous energy production.   Turkey already has a relatively high share of renewable power generation particularly hydro and recent solar auctions have resulted in low prices leading to a focus on potential green hydrogen production.  However it still generates over half of its electricity from fossil fuel including over 25% from coal and lignite.  Against that background it provides an interesting case study on some of the key aspects that a country needs to consider when looking to incorporate low-carbon hydrogen into the development of their energy economy.

The research paper can be found on their website

HSE maintains a national network of doctors appointed doctors and approved medical examiners of divers who are appointed to deliver certain vital functions under our regulatory framework.1 Over the last year or so we have been reaching out to them and offering training and networking opportunities so that we can learn from each other. Their intelligence from real workplaces helps ensure that our medical approach is grounded by what actually happens and this helped us ensure that our health and work strategy took account of their views. I think that it is increasingly important to share our approaches and our  research outcomes on the global stage in an attempt to learn from other researchers around the world. A good example is the work described in this report on the artificial stone issue. I have been lucky enough to work with the Australian research group who identified an epidemic of silicosis from this exposure in their country and helped to facilitate some cross-comparison of materials with our hygienists and measurement scientists. The dialogue continues and I hope that by doing so we can help to prevent such an epidemic from occurring in the UK.<br/>All HSE research findings are published as soon as we are able to do this and this demonstrates both my and Andrew Curran’s commitment to ensure that we publish the evidence we generate to make workplaces healthier for all.

With government legislating for net-zero by 2050 what does this mean for UK energy markets and business models?<br/>Getting to net-zero will require economy-wide changes that extend well beyond the energy system leading to rapid and unprecedented change in all aspects of society.<br/>This report shines a light on the level of disruption that could be required by some sectors to meet net-zero targets. With many businesses making strong commitments to a net-zero carbon future the report highlights the stark future facing specific sectors. Some will need to make fundamental change to their business models and operating practices whilst others could be required to phase out core assets. Government may need to play a role in purposefully disrupting specific sectors to ensure the move away from high carbon business models facilitating the transition a zero-carbon economy. Sector specific impactsThe in-depth analysis presented in ‘Disrupting the UK energy systems: causes impacts and policy implications’ focuses on four key areas of the economy highlighting how they may need to change to remain competitive and meet future carbon targets.<br/>Heat: All approaches for heat decarbonisation are potentially disruptive with policymakers favouring those that are less disruptive to consumers. Since it is unlikely that rapid deployment of low carbon heating will be driven by consumers or the energy industry significant policy and governance interventions will be needed to drive the sustainable heat transformation.<br/>Transport: Following the ‘Road to Zero’ pathway for road transport is unlikely to be disruptive but it is not enough to meet our climate change targets. The stricter targets for phasing out conventional vehicles that will be required will lead to some disruption. Vehicle manufacturers the maintenance and repair sector and the Treasury may all feel the strain.<br/>Electricity: Strategies of the Big 6 energy companies have changed considerably in recent years with varying degrees of disruption to their traditional business model. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to continue to adapt to rapid change – or be overtaken by new entrants.<br/>Construction: To deliver low-carbon building performance will require disruptive changes to the way the construction sector operates. With new-build accounting for less than 1% of the total stock major reductions in energy demand will need to come through retrofit of existing buildings.<br/>The report identifies how policy makers plan for disruptions to existing systems. With the right tools and with a flexible and adaptive approach to policy implementation decision makers can better respond to unexpected consequences and ensure delivery of key policy objectives.

Having a robust evidence base enables us to tackle real issues causing pain and suffering in the workplace. Critically it enables us to better understand developing issues and ways of working to ensure that we support innovation rather than stifle it through lack of knowledge. For example the work on the use of 3D printers in schools demonstrates HSE’s bility to engage and understand the risks to encourage safe innovation in a developing area (see p47).<br/>Other examples in this report show just a selection of the excellent work carried out by our staff often collaborating with others which contributes to improving how we regulate health and safety risks proportionately and effectively.<br/>One of HSEs key priorities is to prevent future cases of occupational lung disease by improving the management and control of hazardous substances. The case study on measuring Respirable Crystalline Silica exposure contributes to this and to recognise developing and future issues such as the work on diacetyl in the coffee industry (see p24 and p39). This type of scientific investigation gives our regulators good trusted information enabling critical decisions on the actions needed to protect workers.<br/>The case study on publishing new guidance on the use of Metalworking Fluids (MWF) demonstrates the important contribution of collaborative science to improving regulation. If used inappropriately exposure to MWF mist can cause serious long-term lung disease and it was recognised that users needed help to control this risk. HSE scientists and regulators worked with industry stakeholders to produce new free guidance which reflects changes in scientific understanding in a practical easy to use guide. As well as enabling users to better manage the risks and as a bonus likely save money it has assisted regulation by providing clear benchmarks for all to judge control against. An excellent example of science contributing to controlling serious health risks (see p22).<br/>These case studies are excellent examples of how science contributes to reducing risk. Hopefully they will inspire you to think about how risk in your workplace could be improved and where further work might be needed.

The Sixth Carbon Budget report 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 advice. In support of the advice in this report we have also produced:

• A Methodology Report setting out the evidence and methodology behind the scenarios.
• A Policy Report setting out the changes to policy that could drive the changes necessary particularly over the 2020s.
• All the charts and data behind the report as well as a separate dataset for the Sixth Carbon Budget 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.

Our recommended pathway requires a 78% reduction in UK territorial emissions between 1990 and 2035. In effect bringing forward the UK’s previous 80% target by nearly 15 years.

The UK is a world leader in the fight against climate change. In 2019 we became the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. Reaching this target will require extensive systematic change across all sectors including industry. We must get this change right as the products made by industry are vital to life in the UK and the sector supports local economies across the country.<br/><br/>This strategy covers the full range of UK industry sectors: metals and minerals chemicals food and drink paper and pulp ceramics glass oil refineries and less energy-intensive manufacturing. These businesses account for around one sixth of UK emissions and transformation of their manufacturing processes is key if we are to meet our emissions targets over the coming decades (BEIS Final UK greenhouse gas emissions from national statistics: 1990 to 2018: Supplementary tables 2020).<br/><br/>The aim of this strategy is to show how the UK can have a thriving industrial sector aligned with the net zero target without pushing emissions and business abroad and how government will act to support this. An indicative roadmap to net zero for UK industry based on the content in this strategy is set out at the end of this summary. This strategy is part of a series of publications from government which combined show how the net zero transition will take place across the whole UK economy.

Green hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in our energy system and could play an important role in decarbonising parts of our economy.

To assist with the development of the Hydrogen Green Paper MBIE assisted by consultants Arup – held four workshops with key stakeholders in Wellington Auckland Christchurch and New Plymouth. The workshops were well attended with a range of views expressed on the potential for hydrogen in New Zealand. Following the workshops we incorporated these views into a Hydrogen Green Paper which was released for public consultation. We sought feedback from the public and wider stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities of building a hydrogen economy in New Zealand as part of our renewable energy strategy. On 2 September 2019 we released the green paper – “A vision for hydrogen in New Zealand”. Consultation ended on 25 October 2019. The green paper looked at the scope of New Zealand’s hydrogen potential to frame discussions for a national strategy.

The green paper asked 27 questions about the challenges and opportunities and the Government’s role in nine key areas:

1. Hydrogen production
2. Hydrogen electricity nexus
3. Hydrogen for mobility
4. Hydrogen for industrial processes
5. Hydrogen for seasonal power generation
6. Decarbonisation of our gas
7. Hydrogen for export
8. Innovation expands job opportunities
9. Transitioning the job market

We received 78 submissions from the public industry research institutions and public and private sector organisations.

This green paper along with the submissions will feed into a wider renewable energy strategy for New Zealand. This will outline the renewable energy pathway to a clean green carbon neutral for New Zealand by 2050.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission together with the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO) the European Standards Organisations (ESO) CEN and CENELEC and the European Commission Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry (ENTR) have launched an initiative within the context of the European Forum on Science and Industry to bring the scientific and standardization communities closer together. The second and very successful workshop in a series entitled “Putting Science into Standards" was held in at the Institute for Energy and Transport of the JRC in Petten on 21-22 October 2014.<br/>The workshop focused on Power to Hydrogen (P2H) and Hydrogen Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG) which represent a promising and major contribution to the challenging management of increased integration of renewable energy sources in the overall energy system. The workshop offered a platform to exchange ideas on technologies policy and standardization issues. The participation of major stakeholders from both industry and research to this event proved fruitful in moving towards consensus on the relevant technical issues involved and at identifying a common way forward to increase the maturity and market visibility of P2H components and systems. Other outcomes include a clarification of expectations of industry of where and how policy and standardization can contribute to a competitive development of P2H and related issues. The workshop results will be used to devise a roadmap on "Opportunities for Power to Hydrogen and HCNG" by CEN/CENELEC outlining the next steps of standardization activities.

Climate change is an existential threat to humanity. Without global action to limit greenhouse gas emissions the climate will change catastrophically with almost unimaginable consequences for societies across the world. In recognition of the risks to the UK and other countries the UK became in 2019 the first major economy to implement a legally binding net zero target.<br/>The UK has made significant progress in decarbonising its economy but needs to go much further to achieve net zero. This will be a collective effort requiring changes from households businesses and government. It will require substantial investment and significant changes to how people live their lives.<br/>This transformation will also create opportunities for the UK economy. New industries and jobs will emerge as existing sectors decarbonise or give way to lowcarbon equivalents. The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and Energy White Paper start to set out how the UK can make the most of these opportunities with new investment in sectors like offshore wind and hydrogen.1 The transition will also have distributional and competitiveness impacts that the government will need to consider as it designs policy.<br/>This interim report sets out the analysis so far from the Treasury’s Net Zero Review and seeks feedback on the approach ahead of the final report due to be published next year.

This paper considers potential import routes for low-carbon and renewable hydrogen (H2) to main European markets like Germany. In particular it analyses claims made by Hydrogen Europe and subsequently picked up by the European Commission in its Hydrogen Strategy that there will be 40GW of electrolyser capacity in nearby countries providing hydrogen imports to Europe by 2030.   The analysis shows that by 2030 potential demand for H2 could be high enough to initiate some limited international hydrogen trade most likely between European countries initially rather than from outside Europe. Geographically a northern hydrogen cluster around Netherlands and NW Germany will be more significant for hydrogen demand while southern Europe is more likely to have surplus low cost renewable power generation.  The paper considers potential H2 exporters to Europe including Ukraine and North African countries (in line with the proposal from Hydrogen Europe) as well as Norway and Russia. (The research pre-dates recent political and military tensions between Russia and Ukraine which are likely to influence future development pathways).   The supply cost of hydrogen in 2030 is predicted to be in a reasonably (and perhaps surprisingly) narrow band around €3/kg from various sources and supply chains. The paper concludes that overall while imports of hydrogen to Europe are certainly possible in the longer term there are many challenges to be addressed. This conclusion supports the growing consensus that development of low carbon hydrogen certainly within Europe is likely to start within relatively local hydrogen clusters with some limited bilateral trade.

The research paper can be found on their website

The Hydrogen Taskforce welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence to the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s inquiry into decarbonising heat in homes. It is the Taskforce’s view that:

• Decarbonising heat is one of the biggest challenges that the UK faces in meeting Net Zero and several solutions will be required;
• Hydrogen can play a valuable role in reducing the cost of decarbonising heat. Its high energy density enables it to be stored cost effectively at scale providing system resilience;
• Hydrogen heating can be implemented at minimal disruption to the consumer;
• The UK holds world-class advantages in hydrogen production distribution and application; and
• Other economies are moving ahead in the development of this sector and the UK must respond.

In March 2020 the Taskforce has defined a set of policy recommendations for Government which are designed to ensure that hydrogen can scale to meet the future demands of a net zero energy system: • Development of a cross departmental UK Hydrogen Strategy within UK Government;• Commit £1bn of capex funding over the next spending review period to hydrogen production storage and distribution projects;• Develop a financial support scheme for the production of hydrogen in blending industry power and transport.• Amend Gas Safety Management Regulations (GSMR) to enable hydrogen blending and take the next steps towards 100% hydrogen heating through supporting public trials and mandating 100% hydrogen-ready boilers by 2025; and• Commit to the support of 100 Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) by 2025 to support the rollout of hydrogen transport.





You can download the whole document from the Hydrogen Taskforce website here

2020: a great year for hydrogen! Among other things 2020 has been exceptional for H2 technology deployment and policy development. The European Commission’s hydrogen strategy is just one of many crowning achievements! What does the future hold?

An energy system centred on renewable energy can help resolve many of Africa’s social economic health and environmental challenges. A profound energy transition is not only feasible it is essential for a climate-safe future in which sustainable development prerogatives are met. Renewables are key to overcoming energy poverty providing needed energy services without damaging human health or ecosystems and enabling a transformation of economies in support of development and industrialisation.

Africa is extraordinarily diverse and no single approach will advance its energy future. But efforts must be made to build modern resilient and sustainable energy systems across the continent to avoid trapping economies and societies in increasingly obsolete energy systems that burden them with stranded assets and limited economic prospects.

This report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) sets out the opportunities at hand while also acknowledging the challenges Africa faces. It lays out a pathway to a renewables-based energy system and shows that the transition promises substantial gains in GDP employment and human welfare in each region of the continent.

Among the findings:

A large part of Africa has so far been left out of the energy transition:

• Only 2% of global investments in renewable energy in the last two decades were made in Africa with significant regional disparities
• Less than 3% of global renewables jobs are in Africa
• In Sub-Saharan Africa electrification rate was static at 46% in 2019 with 906 million people still lacking access to clean cooking fuels and technologies

But the continent has enormous potential:

• Africa has vast resource potential in wind solar hydro and geothermal energy and falling costs are increasingly bringing renewables within reach
• Central and Southern Africa have abundant mineral resources essential to the production of electric batteries wind turbines and other low-carbon technologies

The last decade has seen progress:

• Renewable energy deployment has grown in the last decade with more than 26 GW of renewables-based generation capacity added. The largest additions were in solar energy
• Average annual investments in renewable energy grew ten-fold from less than USD 0.5 billion in the 2000-2009 period to USD 5 billion in 2010-2020
• Distributed renewable energy solutions including stand-alone systems and mini-grids are playing a steadily growing role in expanding electricity access in off-grid areas and strengthening supply in already connected areas

Despite the difficult shift away from carbon-intensive energy sources the energy transition – when accompanied by an appropriate policy basket – holds huge promise for Africa:

• The energy transition under IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario pathway predicts 6.4% higher GDP 3.5% higher economy-wide jobs and a 25.4% higher welfare index than that realised under current plans on average up to 2050
• Jobs created in the renewable energy transition will outweigh those lost by moving away from traditional energy. Every million U.S. dollars invested in renewables between 2020 – 2050 would create at least 26 job-years; for every million invested in energy efficiency at least 22 job-years would be created annually; for energy flexibility the figure is 18

For these benefits to materialise the following will be required:

• A comprehensive policy package that combines the pursuit of climate and environmental goals; economic development and jobs creation; and social equity and welfare for society as a whole
• Strong institutions international co-operation (including South- South co-operation) and considerable co-ordination at the regional level

The Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) and the Birmingham Energy Institute have launched a policy commission to examine the state of play barriers challenges and opportunities for Energy from Waste (EfW) to form part of the regional energy circular economy in the Midlands. This policy commission explores the case for regional investment whilst helping shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding critical issues such as fuel poverty and poor air quality.

The Challenge

Tackling climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. To follow the path for limiting global warming below 2^ᵒC set out in the 2015 Paris agreement requires significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The UK has committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 requiring action at a local regional and national level to transition to a zero carbon economy.

To decarbonise and decentralise the UK’s energy system we must implement technologies that provide energy supply solutions across the UK.

In the Midlands many industrial sites are unable to access supply of affordable clean and reliable energy to meet their demands.

Energy from Waste (EfW) could offer a solution to the Midlands based industrial sites. EfW sites provide affordable secure energy supply solutions that form part of a developing circular economy. EfW reduces our reliance on landfills and obtains the maximum value from our waste streams. There are a number of merging technologies that could potentially play an important role which treats waste as a resource properly integrated into an energy and transport system and fully respects the potential of linking in the circular economy.

Investment into EfW infrastructure in the region could lead to job creation and economic growth and could help provide inward investment needed to redevelop old industrial sites and retiring power stations. However for EfW to be part of a net-zero energy system (either in transition or long-term) technologies and processes are needed that reduce the current carbon emissions burden.

EfW could play a significant role in the net zero carbon transition in the Midlands supplying heat power and green fuels and solve other problems - the region has some of the highest levels of energy/fuel poverty and poor air quality in the UK.  The policy commission will help shape the regional local government and industry thinking surrounding this important topic.

Report Recommendations

Recovery Resource Cluster

The EfW policy commission proposes three major areas where it believes that government investment would be highly beneficial

• Building a network of local and regional Resource Recovery Clusters
• Creating a National Centre for the Circular Economy
• Launching an R&D Grand Challenge to develop small-scale circular carbon capture technologies.

The Resource Recovery Clusters (RRC) will be developed on post-industrial sites which could produce significant environmental economic and regeneration benefits. The RRCs combine a spread of EfW and recycling technologies with businesses that can consume their cheap electricity heat fuels CO₂ and material outputs.

The National Centre for the Circular Economy would analyse material flows throughout the economy down to regional and local levels and develop deep expertise in recycling and EfW technologies. The CCE would also provide expert guidance and support for local authorities as they develop local or regional strategies and planning frameworks.

The R&D Grand Challenge aims to make big advances in small-scale carbon capture technologies in order to turn 100% of CO₂ produced through the process of converting waste to energy into useful products. This is very important for areas such as the Midlands which are remoted from depleted oil and gas reservoirs.

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.

The report documents current knowledge of the social issues surrounding hydrogen projects. It reviews leading practice stakeholder engagement and communication strategies and findings from focus groups and research activities across Australia.

The full report can be found at this link.

Deloitte was commissioned by the National Hydrogen Taskforce established by the COAG Energy Council to undertake an Australian and Global Growth Scenario Analysis. Deloitte analysed the current global hydrogen industry its development and growth potential and how Australia can position itself to best capitalise on the newly forming industry.



To conceptualise the possibilities for Australia Deloitte created scenarios to model the realm of possibilities for Australia out to 2050 focusing on identifying the scope and distribution of economic and environmental costs and benefits from Australian hydrogen industry development. This work will aid in analysing the opportunities and challenges to hydrogen industry development in Australia and the actions needed to overcome barriers to industry growth manage risks and best drive industry development.



The full report is available on the Deloitte website at this link

Humans directly or indirectly generate over 105 billion tonnes of organic wastes globally each year all of which release harmful methane and other greenhouse gas emissions directly into the atmosphere as they decompose. These organic wastes include food waste sewage and garden wastes food and drink processing wastes and farm and agricultural wastes. Today only 2% of these are treated and recycled.



By simply managing these important bioresources more effectively we can cut global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 10% by 2030. This report maps out how the global biogas industry can enable countries to deliver a 10% reduction in global GHG emissions by 2030. The pathways put humanity back on track to deliver by 2030 on the ambitions of both the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).



The report and the executive summary can be downloaded at this link

Eliminating CO₂ emissions from industry and transport in line with the 1.5⁰C climate goal

To avoid catastrophic climate change the world needs to reach zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in all all sectors of the economy by the 2050s. Effective energy decarbonisation presents a major challenge especially in key industry and transport sectors.



The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has produced a comprehensive study of deep decarbonisation options focused on reaching zero into time to fulfil the Paris Agreement and hold the line on rising global temperatures.



Several sectors stand out as especially hard to decarbonise. Four of the most energy-intensive industries (iron and steel chemicals and petrochemicals cement and lime and aluminium) and three key transport sectors (road freight aviation and shipping) could together account for 38% of energy and process emissions and 43% of final energy use by 2050 without major policy changes now the report finds.



Reaching zero with renewables considers how these sectors could achieve zero emissions by 2060 and assesses the use of renewables and related technologies to achieve this. Decarbonisation options for each sector span efficiency improvements electrification direct heat and fuel production using renewables along with CO₂ removal measures.



Without such measures energy and process emissions could amount to 11.4 gigatonnes from industry and 8.6 gigatonnes from transport at mid-century the report indicates. Along with sector-specific actions cross-cutting actions are needed at higher levels.



The report offers ten broad recommendations for industries and governments:

1. Pursue a renewables-based strategy for end-use sectors with an end goal of zero emissions.

2. Develop a shared vision and strategy and co-develop practical roadmaps involving all major players.

3. Build confidence and knowledge among decision makers.

4. Plan and deploy enabling infrastructure early on.

5. Foster early demand for green products and services.

6. Develop tailored approaches to ensure access to finance.

7. Collaborate across borders.

8. Think globally while utilising national strengths.

9. Establish clear pathways for the evolution of regulations and international standards.

10. Support research development and systemic innovation.



With the right plans and sufficient support the goal of reaching zero is achievable the report shows.

A radical decarbonization pathway for the Norwegian society towards 2050 is presented. The paper focuses on the role of hydrogen in the transition when present Norwegian petroleum export is gradually phased out. The study is in line with EU initiatives to secure cooperation opportunities with neighbouring countries to establish an international hydrogen market. Three analytical perspectives are combined. The first uses energy models to investigate the role of hydrogen in an energy and power market perspective without considering hydrogen export. The second uses an economic equilibrium model to examine the potential role of hydrogen export in value creation. The third analysis is a socio-technical case study on the drivers and barriers for hydrogen production in Norway. Main conclusions are that access to renewable power and hydrogen are prerequisites for decarbonization of transport and industrial sectors in Norway and that hydrogen is a key to maintain a high level of economic activity. Structural changes in the economy impacts of new technologies and key enablers and barriers in this transition are discussed.

Pathways leading to a carbon neutral future for the German energy system have to deal with the expected phase-out of coal-fired power generation in addition to the shutdown of nuclear power plants and the rapid ramp-up of photovoltaics and wind power generation. An analysis of the expected impact on electricity market security of supply and system stability must consider the European context because of the strong coupling—both from an economic and a system operation point of view—through the cross-border power exchange of Germany with its neighbors. This analysis complemented by options to improve the existing development plans is the purpose of this paper. We propose a multilevel energy system modeling including electricity market network congestion management and system stability to identify challenges for the years 2023 and 2035. Out of the results we would like to highlight the positive role of innovative combined heat and power (CHP) solutions securing power and heat supply the importance of a network congestion management utilizing flexibility from sector coupling and the essential network extension plans. Network congestion and reduced security margins will become the new normal. We conclude that future energy systems require expanded flexibilities in combination with forward planning of operation.

Alberta is preparing for a lower emission future. The Hydrogen Roadmap is a key part of that future and Alberta's Recovery Plan. The roadmap is our path to building a provincial hydrogen economy and accessing global markets. It contains several policy actions that will be introduced in the coming months and years and it provides support to the sector as technology and markets develop.<br/>Alberta is already the largest hydrogen producer in Canada. We have all the resources expertise and technology needed to quickly become a global supplier of clean low-cost hydrogen. With a worldwide market estimated to be worth over $2.5 trillion a year by 2050 hydrogen can be the next great energy export that fuels jobs investment and economic opportunity across our province.

The hydrogen economy will play a key role in future energy systems. Several thermal and catalytic methods for hydrogen production have been presented. In this review methane thermocatalytic and thermal decomposition into hydrogen gas and solid carbon are considered. These processes known as the thermal decomposition of methane (TDM) and thermocatalytic decomposition (TCD) of methane respectively appear to have the greatest potential for hydrogen production. In particular the focus is on the different types and properties of carbons formed during the decomposition processes. The applications for carbons are also investigated.