Page 50 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2018 publication
P. 50
50 Spring 2018 European Energy Innovation
HYDROGEN
Hydrogen, and Renewables do it!
By Michael Weber and Thomas Kattenstein, EnergieAgentur.NRW, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
The reduction of greenhouse green fuel based alternatives just density; water is abundantly available
gas emissions and local because of their seemingly lower in most places, pure hydrogen can be
pollutants is far from being efficiency, and if Europe keeps stored in salt caverns or pipes, and
solved. Substantial progress confusing “uniform electricity price” most of todays’ gas storages are suited
requires the predominant use of and “common market” and forces ever for the future blend gas containing
renewable energy in all sectors and larger transmission grid extensions limited fractions of hydrogen next to
the widespread use of electric drives burdening the loads on unprivileged synthetic methane, biogas, and natural
in cars and locally operating vehicles1 consumers, instead of financing gas.". Even easily storable liquid fuels
– drives using both technologies, electricity transport via horizontal can be made from hydrogen and CO2.
batteries OR hydrogen, depending on market price differences and thereby
users’ needs. motivating proximity of production European countries, institutions and
and consumption, …it will throttle industry drive the development by
The provision of all sectors with the growth of renewable electricity programs and regulations, studies and
renewable energy will be based generation, it will increase transition projects. The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
mainly on electricity from wind and sun cost, and it will see increasing portions Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), a PPP
throughout Europe, and this requires of gratis producible renewable formed by the EU-Commission, the
flexibility in space AND time. Electricity electricity unproduced – like the 4.5 Industry Group “Hydrogen Europe”
transport is just one side of the medal. TWh in northern Germany in 2015. This and an Academia Group, is the
Flexible electricity use, storage and is “zero efficiency”, and the amounts dedicated European research fund.
especially its conversion to storable will grow as long as flexible Power-to-X Its flagship projects are JIVE for city
energy carriers is the other, and this converters are missing and regulation buses and Hydrogen Mobility Europe
side needs fair consideration in energy does not distinguish them from for other vehicles and stations;
regulation. consumers requiring security of supply. power to hydrogen projects are
funded, too. Other EU-programs like
If Europe sticks to “efficiency” as a Electrolytic production of hydrogen Mehrlin(TEN-T) for refueling stations,
quasi-dogmatic super target, although together with all its subsequent use as well as national programs like the
it is just one pillar of the building, and cases is one key flexibility element for German National Innovation Program
if Europe takes the strongly promoted renewable energy systems, because it on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (NIP)
path to “all-electric”, discriminating stores large amounts of energy at high and sub-national programs like in
NRW (EFRE-based) complement its
capabilities.
Regulation: the Alternative Fuels
Infrastructure Directive (AFID)
supports hydrogen use. The Fuels
Quality Directive (FQD) does consider
hydrogen, but requirements on
“green” hydrogen are too strict and
green hydrogen use in refineries is not
supported neither, which obstructs a
number of paths to increase renewable
energy use. The same applies to the
Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
In addition, for its new issue under
preparation, the council proposed to
impute the use of renewable electricity
in battery electric vehicles with a factor
of 5, whereas the efficiency benefit of
fuel cells over combustion engines is
not considered at all. But p rogress
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