Policy & Socio-Economics

The cross-regional renewable hydrogen supply is significant for China to resolve the uneven distribution of renewable energy and decarbonize the transportation sector. Yet the economic comparison of various hydrogen supply routes remains obscure. This paper conducts a techno-economic analysis on six hydrogen supply routes for hydrogen refueling stations including gas-hydrogen tube-trailer gas-hydrogen pipeline liquid-hydrogen truck natural gas pipeline MeOH truck and NH3 truck. Furthermore the impacts of three critical factors are examined including electrolyzer selection transportation distance and electricity price. The results indicate that with a transport distance of 2000 km the natural gas pipeline route offers the lowest cost while the gas-hydrogen tube-trailer route is not economically feasible. The gas-hydrogen pipeline route shows outstanding cost competitiveness between 200 and 2000 km while it is greatly influenced by the utilization rate. The liquid-hydrogen truck route demonstrates great potential with the electricity price decreasing. This study may provide guidance for the development of the cross-regional renewable hydrogen supply for hydrogen refueling stations in China.

Hydrogen can be considered an innovative fuel that will revolutionize the energy sector and enable even more complete use of the potential of renewable sources. The aim of the paper is to present the challenges faced by companies and economies that will produce and use hydrogen. Thanks to the use of hydrogen in the energy transport and construction sectors it will be possible to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. By 2050 global demand for hydrogen will increase to 614 million metric tons a year and thanks to the use of hydrogen in energy transport and construction it will be possible to achieve climate neutrality. Depending on the method of hydrogen production the processes used and the final effects several groups can be distinguished marked with different colors. It is in this area of obtaining friendly hydrogen that innovative possibilities for its production open up. The costs of hydrogen production are also affected by network fees national tax systems availability and prices of carbon capture utilization and storage installations energy consumption rates by electrolyzers and transport methods. It is planned that 1 kg of hydrogen will cost USD 1. The study used the desk research method which made it possible to analyze a huge amount of descriptive data and numerical data.

This statutory report provides a comprehensive overview of the UK Government’s progress to date in reducing emissions. It is accompanied by a new Monitoring Framework which details the CCC’s updated approach to tracking real-world progress through a host of new indicators.<br/>This is a pivotal point in the UK’s journey to Net Zero. The UK is one of the few countries with emissions targets in line with the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. Policy ambition has moved substantially with the publication of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy. Now is the time to deliver the promised action.

Hydrogen energy one of the energy sources of the future represents a substantial issue which affects the industries and national technologies that will develop in the future. In order to utilize hydrogen energy a hydrogen supply chain is required so that hydrogen can be processed and transported to vehicles. It is helpful for technology and policy development to analyze technologies necessary to charge the hydrogen energy generated into vehicles through the supply chain to discover technologies with high potential for future development. The purpose of this paper is to identify promising technologies required in storing transporting and charging vehicles generated by the hydrogen fuel supply chain. Afterward the promising technologies identified are expected to help researchers set a direction in researching technologies and developing related policies. Therefore we provide technology information that can be used promisingly in the future so that researchers in the related field can utilize it effectively. In this paper data analysis is performed using related patents and research papers for technical analysis. Promising technologies that will be the core of the hydrogen fuel supply chain in the future were identified using the published patents and research paper database (DB) in Korea the United States Europe China and Japan. A text mining technique was applied to preprocess data and then a generic topographic map (GTM) analysis discovered promising technologies. Then a technology roadmap was identified by analyzing the promising technology derived from patents and research papers in parallel. In this study through the analysis of patents and research papers related to the hydrogen supply chain the development status of hydrogen storage/transport/charging technology was analyzed and promising technologies with high potential for future development were found. The technology roadmap derived from the analysis can help researchers in the field of hydrogen research establish policies and research technologies.

Low-cost solar photovoltaics and wind offer a reliable and affordable pathway to deep decarbonization of energy which accounts for three quarters of global emissions. However large-scale deployment of solar photovoltaics and wind requires space and may be challenging for countries with dense population and high per capita energy consumption. This study investigates the future role of renewable energy in Japan as a case study. A 40-year hourly energy balance model is presented of a hypothetical 100% renewable Japanese electricity system using representative demand data and historical meteorological data. Pumped hydro energy storage high voltage interconnection and dispatchable capacity (existing hydro and biomass and hydrogen energy produced from curtailed electricity) are included to balance variable generation and demand. Differential evolution is used to find the least-cost solution under various constraints. This study shows that Japan has 14 times more solar and offshore wind resources than needed to supply 100% renewable electricity and vast capacity for off-river pumped hydro energy storage. Assuming significant cost reductions of solar photovoltaics and offshore wind towards global norms in the coming decades driven by large-scale deployment locally and global convergence of renewable generation costs the levelized cost of electricity is found to be US$86/Megawatt-hour for a solar-dominated system and US$110/Megawatt-hour for a wind-dominated system. These costs can be compared with 2020 average system prices on the spot market in Japan of US$102/Megawatt-hour. Cost of balancing 100% renewable electricity in Japan ranges between US$20–27/Megawatt-hour for a range of scenarios. In summary Japan can be self-sufficient for electricity supply at competitive costs provided that the barriers to the mass deployment of solar photovoltaics and offshore wind in Japan are overcome.

On this weeks episode the team are talking all things hydrogen with Lorna Millington Future Networks Manager in the Safety and Network Strategy team at Cadent. On the show we discuss the role that Cadent and other gas distribution network operators (GDNOs) are playing in supporting the transition towards a low (and eventually zero) carbon gas grid through the use of hydrogen. The potential for hydrogen to support decarbonisation of heat through the gas network is one of the most exciting emerging themes for countries that have large existing gas networks and who are looking to repurpose those assets towards national net zero objectives. As a leader on hydrogen into the gas grid projects Cadent offer a wealth of knowledge around the potential opportunities and considerations for displacing natural gas with hydrogen over time. And given the chance to reduce up to 6 million tonnes of CO2 a year through using more hydrogen in the gas grid this is a show you won’t want to miss! All this and more on the show!

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The heat and buildings strategy sets out the government’s plan to significantly cut carbon emissions from the UK’s 30 million homes and workplaces in a simple low-cost and green way whilst ensuring this remains affordable and fair for households across the country. Like the transition to electric vehicles this will be a gradual transition which will start by incentivizing consumers and driving down costs.<br/>There are about 30 million buildings in the UK. Heating these buildings contributes to almost a quarter of all UK emissions. Addressing the carbon emissions produced in heating and powering our homes workplaces and public buildings can not only save money on energy bills and improve lives but can support up to 240000 skilled green jobs by 2035 boosting the economic recovery levelling up across the country and ensuring we build back better.<br/>The heat and buildings strategy builds on the commitments made in Clean growth: transforming heating our Energy white paper and the Prime Minister’s 10 point plan. This strategy aims to provide a clear direction of travel for the 2020s set out the strategic decisions that need to be taken this decade and demonstrate how we plan to meet our carbon targets and remain on track for net zero by 2050.

Marine transport has been essential for international trade. Concern for its environmental impact was growing among regulators classification societies ship operators ship owners and other stakeholders. By applying life cycle assessment this article aimed to assess the impact of a new-build hybrid system (i.e. an electric power system which incorporated lithium ion batteries photovoltaic systems and cold-ironing) designed for Roll-on/Roll-off cargo ships. The study was carried out based on a bottom-up integrated system approach using the optimised operational profile and background information for manufacturing processes mass breakdown and end of life management plans. Resources such as metallic and non-metallic materials and energy required for manufacture operation maintenance dismantling and scrap handling were estimated. During operation 1.76 x 10^8 kg of marine diesel oil was burned releasing carbon monoxide carbon dioxide particulate matter hydrocarbons nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide which ranged 5–8 orders of magnitude. The operation of diesel gensets was the primary cause of impact categories that were relevant to particulate matter or respiratory inorganic health issues photochemical ozone creation eutrophication acidification global warming and human toxicity. Disposing metallic scrap was accountable for the most significant impact category ecotoxicity potential. The environmental benefits of the hybrid power system in most impact categories were verified in comparison with a conventional power system onboard cargo ships. The estimated results for individual impact categories were verified using scenario analysis. The study concluded that the life cycle of a new-build hybrid power system would result in significant impact on the environment human beings and natural reserves and therefore proper management of such a system was imperative.

Recently smart energy hubs with hydrogen conversion and storage have received increased attention in the Netherlands. The hydrogen is to be used for vehicle filling stations industrial processes and heating. The scientific problem addressed in this paper is the proper sizing of capacities for renewable energy generation hydrogen conversion and storage in relation to a feasible business case for the energy hub while achieving security of supply. Scenario analysis is often used during the early stages of the energy planning process and for this an easy-to-use analysis model is required. This paper investigates available modelling approaches and develops an algorithmic modelling method which is worked out in Microsoft Excel and offers ease of use for scenario analysis purposes. The model is applied to case study which leads to important insights such as the expected price of hydrogen and the proper sizing of electrolyser and hydrogen storage for that case. The model is made available open-source. Future work is proposed in the direction of application of the model for other project cases and comparison of results with other available modelling tools.

The energy base of urban settlements requires greater integration of renewable energy sources. This study presents a “hydrogen city” model with two cycles at the district and building levels. The main cycle comprises of hydrogen gas production hydrogen storage and a hydrogen distribution network. The electrolysis of water is based on surplus power from wind turbines and third-generation solar photovoltaic thermal panels. Hydrogen is then used in central fuel cells to meet the power demand of urban infrastructure. Hydrogen-enriched biogas that is generated from city wastes supplements this approach. The second cycle is the hydrogen flow in each low-exergy building that is connected to the hydrogen distribution network to supply domestic fuel cells. Make-up water for fuel cells includes treated wastewater to complete an energy-water nexus. The analyses are supported by exergy-based evaluation metrics. The Rational Exergy Management Efficiency of the hydrogen city model can reach 0.80 which is above the value of conventional district energy systems and represents related advantages for CO2 emission reductions. The option of incorporating low-enthalpy geothermal energy resources at about 80 ◦C to support the model is evaluated. The hydrogen city model is applied to a new settlement area with an expected 200000 inhabitants to find that the proposed model can enable a nearly net-zero exergy district status. The results have implications for settlements using hydrogen energy towards meeting net-zero targets.