Page 20 - European Energy Innovation - summer 2019 publication

20 Summer 2019 European Energy Innovation
COMMUNICATION
Hydrogen: enabling sectoral
integration
By Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Secretary General,
Hydrogen Europe
Hydrogen is an energy carrier, a fuel and a feedstock,
which can reduce greenhouse gases emissions if
produced adequately. Likewise, hydrogen can strengthen
energy independence and mitigate the challenges posed
by variability and intermittency of renewable energy
systems as it offers a clean, sustainable, and flexible
option to convert renewable electricity into a chemical
energy carrier. As such it can be used in mobility, heat and
industrial applications. As the “gaseous form of electricity”, consumption-oriented production of renewable energy by
it is an enabler for sectoral integration, which allows the
transmission of renewables into the different sectors.
Hydrogen is indeed a key component of the future of
energy systems that will accelerate the transition to a
carbon-neutral system. It also presents opportunities in
terms of job creation, technological leadership, and wider
environmental protection for Europe.
The hydrogen economy is already a hundred billion-
dollar market worldwide. It is today mainly used for
the production of fuels (50% of the market), fertilizers
(43%) and various industrial processes (6%) such as the
production of glass, iron, as well as various food products
such as margarine. Other uses of hydrogen exist but are
still marginal on a global scale with 1% of the market:
• the propulsion of vehicles - cars, buses, trains, boats;
• the production of electricity and heat for commercial
and residential use;
• renewable energy storage in the form of hydrogen, or
substitution of natural gas with hydrogen in industrial
and domestic applications.
These uses are, therefore, likely to grow.
The ability of hydrogen to access and integrate each
sector of the energy system opens up the opportunity
for deploying and utilising renewables to a much
greater extent. Whereas electricity derived from
renewables provides the power sector with a profound
“Sectoral integration means the integration of
several sectors such as the power, transport,
agriculture, the energy-intensive industries and/or
the heating and cooling sectors via the use of energy
carriers such as hydrogen.”
Photo: DLR, ©Thomas Ernsting
decarbonisation pathway albeit limited by the power
grid, the heat and mobility sectors as well as industry
do not yet have decarbonisation pathways of equivalent
significance. Hydrogen technologies in a power system
integrating high penetration of Renewable Energy Sources
(RES) can operate throughout long periods of non-
feeding hydrogen into one or more energy sinks (e.g.: the
gas grid, the storage tanks of hydrogen refuelling stations,
salt caverns). Stored hydrogen can be used on various
timescales for satisfying demands for heat, transport,
power or industry achieving high utilisation and absorption
of energy. The versatility of hydrogen enables these
sectors to be integrated and to contribute to Europe’s
energy transition. l
About Hydrogen Europe
Hydrogen Europe is the European association
representing the interest of the hydrogen and fuel
cell industry and its stakeholders. We promote
Hydrogen as the enabler of a zero-emission
society. With more than 110 companies, 70 research
organisations and 16 national associations as
members, our association encompasses the entire
value chain of the European Hydrogen and fuel cell
ecosystem collaborating in the Fuel Cell Hydrogen
Joint Undertaking. We are a Brussels-based
association fostering knowledge and pushing for
fact-based policy making ensuring that the European
regulatory framework enables the role of Hydrogen
in our society. For more information, please visit
www.hydrogeneurope.eu and follow us on Twitter
@H2Europe!
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu