Europe wants to become the benchmark for hydrogen
Environment — di Rudi Bressa
The only way to reach net zero emissions will be to have an efficient energy storage system. Hydrogen could be the answer.
Europe wants to become the benchmark for hydrogen
The only way to reach net zero emissions will be to have an efficient energy storage system. Hydrogen could be the answer.
By 2050, Europe has declared its intention to reach net zero CO2 emissions, the minimum targets for meeting climate commitments. To do so, it will need to store six times more energy than we store today. Renewables are currently growing strongly across the EU-27 – in Italy they reached 40.5 per cent of coverage for electricity demand in the first six months of the year – but on the other hand they are not stable sources for electricity production. This is well known: it is precisely why thermal power plants, whether oil-fired or gas-fired, remain fundamental to the grid, because they produce what is known as "baseload" – that is, the minimum electricity output needed to manage demand peaks. To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, Europe will therefore need to transform its energy system, which is responsible for 75 per cent of the continent's greenhouse gas emissions. It is for this reason that the European Commission, on 8 July, adopted a strategic plan for energy system integration and for hydrogen as a vector to develop an efficient, low-emission energy sector.
"Given that 75 per cent of EU greenhouse gas emissions come from the energy sector, we need a paradigm shift to achieve the targets we have set for 2030 and 2050," said in a statement Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson. "The Union's energy system must become more integrated and more flexible, as well as being able to embrace the cleanest and most cost-effective solutions. Now that the falling prices of renewable energy and continuous innovation make it a viable option for a climate-neutral economy, hydrogen will play a key role in this process."
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The EU bets on hydrogen
According to the published document, the strategy foresees that between 2020 and 2024, at least 6 gigawatts of electrolysers for renewable hydrogen will be installed in the EU, with production of up to one million tonnes of hydrogen. Between 2025 and 2030, hydrogen is to become a fully integrated part of our energy system, with at least 40 gigawatts of electrolysers for renewable hydrogen and production of up to ten million tonnes of hydrogen. Between 2030 and 2050, the technologies employed are expected to reach maturity and find large-scale application across all hard-to-decarbonise sectors, such as steel, cement and paper.
One word keeps recurring in the statements and is worth noting: "renewable" hydrogen. What does it mean? That the most efficient, feasible and sensible solution is to use this element as a vector for storing surplus energy produced by renewables, making it available at times of peak demand. This would work in synergy with other storage methods, such as hydraulic pumping, the use of batteries, and electric vehicles distributed across European territory – the so-called V2G (Vehicle to Grid) technology.
As the Commission explains, "hydrogen can be used as a feedstock, fuel, energy carrier or storage and has many applications across industry, transport, energy and buildings. Even more importantly, when it is used it emits no CO2 and causes almost no air pollution. It therefore represents an alternative for decarbonising industrial processes and economic sectors in which reducing carbon emissions is as urgent as it is difficult." The Commission has also published its strategy for an integrated energy system, which includes a revision of the energy taxation directive and suggestions to expand the carbon market and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies in member states.
Why it matters that hydrogen is "clean"
WWF Europe also stresses the importance of using a vector coupled exclusively with renewable energy, calling for "a clear definition of 'clean hydrogen', meaning that no fossil fuels are used, including gas or nuclear" and for funding to go "exclusively to renewable hydrogen projects and infrastructure."
"Hydrogen is not a silver bullet for decarbonisation, but it can be a useful piece of the puzzle if done right," said Camille Maury, Head of Industrial Decarbonisation Policy at WWF's European Policy Office, in a statement. "This means using only zero-emission hydrogen – produced from surplus renewable electricity – and using it only in sectors where it is truly needed, such as energy-intensive industries, while always prioritising electrification and energy saving."
According to the German think tank Clean Energy Wire, the European strategy could create one million new jobs by mid-century, but it notes that Brussels remains open to hydrogen production from natural gas combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Also from Germany, which is already very active in promoting hydrogen, further comments on the European positions have emerged – including from the German Renewable Energy Association (BEE), which has remarked that the hydrogen strategy should be linked to a faster expansion of renewable sources, renouncing from the outset the supposed necessity of blue or grey hydrogen (from gas or nuclear). "A coherent approach must take into account the entire CO2 footprint of hydrogen products and must therefore allow only the promotion of green hydrogen," said BEE president Simone Peter.
Hydrogen has been spoken of as a vector for the energy transition for years, and it periodically returns to the spotlight in European energy plans. Perhaps this could be the long-awaited moment for the development of this technology.