Introduction
Hydrogen and fuel cells are seen by many as key solutions for the 21st century, enabling clean efficient production of power and heat from a range of primary energy sources but can they deliver for local and peripheral communities.
Energy is the very lifeblood of today’s society and economy. Our work, leisure, and our economic, social and physical welfare all depend on the sufficient, uninterrupted supply of energy. Yet we take it for granted – and our energy demand continues to grow, year after year. Traditional fossil energy sources such as oil and gas which supply this energy are part of the climate crisis and in the not too distant future this will have to be met increasingly from alternative primary energy sources. We must strive to make these more sustainable to avoid the negative impacts of global climate change, the growing risk of supply disruptions, price volatility and air pollution that are associated with today’s energy systems. The energy policy of the European Commission advocates securing energy supply while at the same time reducing emissions that are associated with climate change. This calls for immediate actions to promote greenhouse gas emissions-free energy sources such as renewable energy sources, alternative fuels for transport and to increase energy efficiency.
Security of Energy Supply
Energy security for Europe is a major issue, for peripheral communities it is a critical issue. Fossil fuel, particularly crude oil, is confined to a few areas of the world and continuity of supply is governed by political, economic and ecological factors. These factors conspire to force volatile, often high fuel prices while, at the same time, environmental policy is demanding a reduction in greenhouse gases and toxic emissions. To address this energy challenge a coherent energy strategy is required, addressing both energy supply and demand while taking account of the whole energy lifecycle including fuel production, transmission and distribution, energy conversion, the impact on energy equipment manufacturers and the end-users of energy systems. In the short term, the aim should be to achieve higher energy efficiency and increased supply from European energy sources, in particular renewables.
In the long term, a hydrogen-based economy will have an impact on all these sectors. In view of technological developments, vehicle and component manufacturers, transport providers, the energy industry, and even householders are seriously looking at alternative energy sources and fuels and more efficient and cleaner technologies – especially hydrogen and hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
Security of energy supply is of major concern for the European Union. As North Sea production peaks, our dependence on imported oil – vital for today’s transport systems – is forecast to grow from around 75% today, to in excess of 85% by 2020, much of it coming from the Middle East. It is essential we increase the renewable energy generated locally to reduce the dependency of imported fuel.
Hydrogen is not a primary energy source like coal and gas. It is an energy carrier. Initially, it is being produced using existing energy systems based on different conventional primary energy carriers and sources. As renewable energy sources increasingly become the most important source for electricity generation the production of green hydrogen will become a viable solution in the longer term.
Hydrogen a ‘game changing’ technology
As we strive to achieve the 2050 Zero Emission targets hydrogen is a ‘game changing’ technology with extensive applications across transport, stationary power and beyond. Hydrogen, as an energy carrier, and as an enabling technology, will be critical in the delivery of a clean energy future.
As an energy carrier, hydrogen can play a significant role in energy security, carbon reduction and economic growth. It will be the crucial element of any future energy system and will change the energy dynamic putting consumers at the start of the new energy system instead of being at the end where they currently are.
On the technology front, hydrogen, a clean energy carrier that can be produced from any primary energy source, and fuel cells which are very efficient energy conversion devices, are attracting the attention of public and private authorities. Hydrogen and fuel cells, by enabling the so-called hydrogen economy, hold great promise for meeting in a quite unique way, our concerns over security of supply and climate change.
Rural Communities
Rural and isolated communities in NWE face unique energy issues related to efficiency, reliability and sustainability. This is commonly due to dependency on external and fossil fuel energy supply, low electricity grid capacity and limited or no connection to wider grids. As a result these communities have higher than average carbon emissions and are more vulnerable to fluctuating fuel prices.
Renewable energy sources continue to increase their share of installed capacity worldwide. Their integration, in conjunction with increased energy efficiency and other low-carbon technologies, constitutes the best opportunity to achieve energy sustainability. Renewable energy sources also constitute the best option to avert the risks that conventional non-renewable sources pose to health, geopolitics, the economy and the environment.
So can Hydrogen be part of an energy security solution for peripheral communities? The answer with these new conversion technologies is yes they can!
The concept “Power to X” (P2X) refers to energy conversion technologies that allow for the decoupling of power production plants from the electrical market to use their product in other sectors (such as transport, heating and chemicals). P2X is particularly relevant for renewable power technologies as they face a series of challenges to increase their participation in the current energy matrix. These challenges without a robust solution hinder the uptake of renewable energy technologies hence delaying the current transition to a sustainable energy sector and decelerating the effort to reduce GHG emissions from this sector. The GenComm project is creating a roadmap for Hydrogen in which investors from existing and future renewable power plants can identify, techno-economically analyse and project the inclusion of a fitting P2X technology to their infrastructure.
Hydrogen based energy systems can build bridges to a green energy future, one where communities on the periphery of Europe can address their energy vulnerability and build a secure energy future. However planning a cost effective and efficient transition is hugely complex. The very large capital and human investments implied will require many years before coming to fruition. However, we must begin now to explore this path to a more sustainable future.
Hydrogen and electricity also allow flexibility in balancing centralised and decentralised power, based on managed, intelligent grids, and power for remote locations (e.g. island, and mountain sites). Decentralised power is attractive both to ensure power quality to meet specific customer needs, as well as reducing exposure to terrorist attack. The ability to store hydrogen more easily than electricity can help with load levelling and in balancing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Hydrogen is also one of the few energy carriers that enables renewable energy sources to be introduced into transport systems.
Economic Competitiveness
Europe is recognising that hydrogen and fuel cells will be core technologies for the 21st century and be the catalyst for economic growth and sustainable prosperity. There is growing, strong investment and industrial activity in the hydrogen and fuel cell arena in these technologies, driving the transition to hydrogen. For Europe to compete and become a leading world player in the hydrogen sector, it has to intensify its efforts and create a favourable business development environment. This energy environment will be a bonus to all especially peripheral communities where they can use this as a foundation for stability and growth.
We have begun to witness this new EU stance when the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated on the 16th March 2021 at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2021
‘with NextGenerationEU, we will invest in clean hydrogen as never before. Clean hydrogen is a perfect means towards our goal of climate neutrality.
Full speech available at https://europa.eu/!vH84xY
Paul Mc Cormack, Hydrogen Ireland Board Member
