Policy & Socio-Economics

This paper provides a critical study of current Australian and leading international policies aimed at supporting electrical energy storage for stationary power applications with a focus on battery and hydrogen storage technologies. It demonstrates that global leaders such as Germany and the U.S. are actively taking steps to support energy storage technologies through policy and regulatory change. This is principally to integrate increasing amounts of intermittent renewable energy (wind and solar) that will be required to meet high renewable energy targets. The relevance of this to the Australian energy market is that whilst it is unique it does have aspects in common with the energy markets of these global leaders. This includes regions of high concentrations of intermittent renewable energy (Texas and California) and high penetration rates of residential solar photovoltaics (PV) (Germany). Therefore Australian policy makers have a good opportunity to observe what is working in an international context to support energy storage. These learnings can then be used to help shape future policy directions and guide Australia along the path to a sustainable energy future.

The purpose of this research was to derive promising technologies for the transport of hydrogen fuel cells thereby supporting the development of research and development policy and presenting directions for investment. We also provide researchers with information about technology that will lead the technology field in the future. Hydrogen energy as the core of carbon neutral and green energy is a major issue in changing the future industrial structure and national competitive advantage. In this study we derived promising technology at the core of future hydrogen fuel cell transportation using the published US patent and paper databases (DB). We first performed text mining and data preprocessing and then discovered promising technologies through generative topographic mapping analysis. We analyzed both the patent DB and treatise DB in parallel and compared the results. As a result two promising technologies were derived from the patent DB analysis and five were derived from the paper DB analysis.

This White Paper has been commissioned by the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell (H2FC) SUPERGEN Hub to examine the roles and potential benefits of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in delivering energy security for the UK. The H2FC SUPERGEN Hub is an inclusive network encompassing the entire UK hydrogen and fuel cells research community with around 100 UK-based academics supported by key stakeholders from industry and government. It is funded by the UK EPSRC research council as part of the RCUK Energy Programme. This paper is the second of four that were published over the lifetime of the Hub with the others examining: (i) low-carbon heat; (iii) future energy systems; and (iv) economic impact.

• Fuel cells can contribute to UK energy system security both now and in the future.
• Hydrogen can be produced using a broad range of feedstocks and production processes including renewable electricity.
• Adopting hydrogen as an end-use fuel in the long term increases UK energy diversity.

This White Paper has been commissioned by the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell (H2FC) SUPERGEN Hub to examine the roles and potential benefits of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies within each sector of future energy systems and the transition infrastructure that is required to achieve these roles. The H2FC SUPERGEN Hub is an inclusive network encompassing the entire UK hydrogen and fuel cells research community with around 100 UK-based academics supported by key stakeholders from industry and government. It is funded by the UK EPSRC research council as part of the RCUK Energy Programme. This paper is the third of four that were published over the lifetime of the Hub with the others examining: (i) low-carbon heat; (ii) energy security; and (iv) economic impacts.

• Hydrogen and fuel cells are now being deployed commercially for mainstream applications.
• Hydrogen can play a major role alongside electricity in the low-carbon economy.
• Hydrogen technologies can support low-carbon electricity systems dominated by intermittent renewables and/or electric heating demand.
• The hydrogen economy is not necessary for hydrogen and fuel cells to flourish.

For more than a century our nation’s brightest minds have been working on the technology to turn the invisible promise of hydrogen into tangible solutions. Canadian ingenuity and innovation has once again brought us to a pivotal moment. As we rebuild our economy from the impacts of COVID-19 and fight the existential threat of climate change the development of low-carbon hydrogen is a strategic priority for Canada. The time to act is now.<br/>The Hydrogen Strategy for Canada lays out an ambitious framework for actions that will cement hydrogen as a tool to achieve our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and position Canada as a global industrial leader of clean renewable fuels. This strategy shows us that by 2050 clean hydrogen can help us achieve our net-zero goal—all while creating jobs growing our economy and protecting our environment. This will involve switching from conventional gasoline diesel and natural gas to zero-emissions fuel sources taking advantage of new regulatory environments and embracing new technologies to give Canadians more choice of zero emission alternatives.<br/>As one of the top 10 hydrogen producers in the world today we are rich in the feedstocks that produce hydrogen. We are blessed with a strong energy sector and the geographic assets that will propel Canada to be a major exporter of hydrogen and hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen might be nature’s smallest molecule but its potential is enormous. It provides new markets for our conventional energy resources and holds the potential to decarbonize many sectors of our economy including resource extraction freight transportation power generation manufacturing and the production of steel and cement. This Strategy is a call to action. It will spur investments and strategic partnerships across the country and beyond our borders. It will position Canada to seize economic and environmental opportunities that exist coast to coast. Expanding our exports. Creating as many as 350000 good green jobs over the next three decades. All while dramatically reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. And putting a net-zero future within our reach.<br/>The importance of Canada’s resource industries and our clean technology sectors has been magnified during the pandemic. We must harness our combined will expertise and financial resources to fully seize the opportunities that hydrogen presents. This strategy is the product of three years of study and analysis including extensive engagement sessions where we heard from more than 1500 of our country’s leading experts and stakeholders. But its release is not the end of a process. This is only the beginning. Together we will use this Strategy to guide our actions and investments. By working with provinces and territories Indigenous partners and the private-sector and by leveraging our many advantages we will create the prosperity we all want protect the planet we all cherish and we will ensure we leave no one behind.

The Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) aims to identify the key innovation needs across the UK’s energy system to inform the prioritisation of public sector investment in low-carbon innovation. Using an analytical methodology developed by the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) the EINA takes a system level approach and values innovations in a technology in terms of the system-level benefits a technology innovation provides. This whole system modelling in line with BEIS’s EINA methodology was delivered by the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) using the Energy System Modelling Environment (ESMETM) as the primary modelling tool.

To support the overall prioritisation of innovation activity the EINA process analyses key technologies in more detail. These technologies are grouped together into sub-themes according to the primary role they fulfil in the energy system. For key technologies within a sub-theme innovations and business opportunities are identified. The main findings at the technology level are summarised in sub-theme reports. An overview report will combine the findings from each sub-theme to provide a broad system-level perspective and prioritisation.

This EINA analysis is based on a combination of desk research by a consortium of economic and engineering consultants and stakeholder engagement. The prioritisation of innovation and business opportunities presented is informed by a workshop organised for each sub-theme assembling key stakeholders from the academic community industry and government.

This report was commissioned prior to advice being received from the CCC on meeting a net zero target and reflects priorities to meet the previous 80% target in 2050. The newly legislated net zero target is not expected to change the set of innovation priorities rather it will make them all more valuable overall. Further work is required to assess detailed implications.

While most hydrogen research focuses on the technical and cost hurdles to a full-scale hydrogen economy little consideration has been given to the geopolitical drivers and consequences of hydrogen developments. The technologies and infrastructures underpinning a hydrogen economy can take markedly different forms and the choice over which pathway to take is the object of competition between different stakeholders and countries. Over time cross-border maritime trade in hydrogen has the potential to fundamentally redraw the geography of global energy trade create a new class of energy exporters and reshape geopolitical relations and alliances between countries. International governance and investments to scale up hydrogen value chains could reduce the risk of market fragmentation carbon lock-in and intensified geo-economic rivalry.

In the first episode of Hydrogen Europe's podcast "Hydrogen the first element" our CEO Jorgo Chatzimarkakis discusses with NEL's CEO and President of Hydrogen Europe Jon Andre Løkke. Starting off on how Jon joined the hydrogen sector the two CEOs investigate the historical moment renewable hydrogen is currently living.

THIS ANNUAL SCIENCE Review showcases the high quality of science evidence and analysis that underpins HSE’s risk-based regulatory regime. To be an effective regulator HSE has to balance its approaches to informing directing advising and enforcing through a variety of activities. For this we need capacity to advance knowledge; to develop and use robust evidence and analysis; to challenge thinking; and to review effectiveness.<br/>In simple terms policy provides the route map to tackling issues. HSE is particularly well placed in terms of the three components of effective policy - “politics” “evidence” and “delivery”. Unlike most regulators and arms-length bodies HSE leads on policy development which draws directly on front line delivery expertise and intelligence; and we are also unusual in having our own world class science and insight capabilities.<br/>The challenge is to ensure we bring these components together to best effect to respond to new risk management and regulatory issues with effective innovative and proportionate approaches.<br/>Many of the articles in this Review relate to new and emerging technologies and the changing world of work and it is important to understand the risks these may pose and how they can be effectively controlled or how they themselves can contribute to improved health and safety in the workplace. Good policy development can support approaches to change that are proportionate relevant persuasive and effective. For example work described in these pages is: to help understand changing workplace exposures; to provide robust evidence to those negotiating alternatives to unduly prescriptive standards; to understand how best to influence duty<br/>holder behaviors in the changing world of work; to inform possible legislative changes to allow different modes of safe gas transmission; to change administrative processes for Appointed Doctors; and to support our position as a model modern regulator by further focusing our inspection activity where it matters most.<br/>The vital interface between HSE science and policy understand how best to influence duty holder behaviors in the changing world of work; to inform possible legislative changes to allow different modes of safe gas transmission; to change administrative processes for Appointed Doctors; and to support our position as a model modern regulator by further focusing our inspection activity where it matters most.<br/>We work well together and it is important we maintain this engagement as a conscious collaboration.

<br/>Our industry is beginning its journey on the transition to providing the world with sufficient sustainable affordable and low emission energy.<br/><br/>Decarbonisation is now a key priority. Steps range from reducing emissions from traditional oil and gas operations to investing in renewable energy and supplementing natural gas supplies with greener gasses such as hydrogen.<br/><br/>This paper looks at the role hydrogen could play in decarbonisation.