[ad_1]
As the dust settles on the EU election results and Brussels looks ahead to the arrival of a new EU leader, one final policy hurdle is on the desks of energy officials: the definition of low-carbon hydrogen. Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson Indicated The committee intends to come up with a definition by the end of this year.
Jochen Bard, Co-founder Hydrogen Science Alliance Head of the Department of Energy Process Technology, Fraunhofer IFA
Since its 2020 Hydrogen Strategy led global policy action, the EU plans to invest billions of euros in the hydrogen economy to decarbonize industry and help Europe remain competitive.
it is Definition of renewable hydrogen Influential on the world stage – probably Overseas Copy In the United States—it has set Important goals Under the Renewable Energy Directive, the use of renewable hydrogen in industry is to rise to 60% by 2035.
However, clean energy subsidies announced under the US Inflation Reduction Act destroyed The EU’s position as a global hydrogen leader will also be affected as the United States sets high standards for clean hydrogen investment.
New opportunities and risks
Those in the know understand that this low-carbon definition is significant: it is key to ensuring that EU hydrogen facilitates rather than hinders the energy transition, thereby increasing the competitiveness of European industry.
The definition, in the form of a delegated act, sets out specific conditions for calculating the lifecycle emissions of low-carbon hydrogen. It will mainly apply to what is known as blue hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The risk does exist. Low carbon does not mean low emissions, and methane and hydrogen emissions are also part of the blue hydrogen life cycle.
The two gases leaking in the blue hydrogen supply chain have a global warming potential many times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2). In the first 20 years after they are released into the atmosphere, hydrogen Emissions are 35 times greater than carbon dioxide. Methane Emissions are 84 times higher.
As a result, hydrogen produced from fossil fuels using CCS technology could release emissions with a warming impact 50% higher than traditional fossil fuels, according to one study. Recent peer-reviewed research.
Clear definition
The starting point for any definition of low-carbon hydrogen must be renewable hydrogen. Made from renewable electricity, it is the only form of hydrogen that is close to zero emissions.
EU renewable hydrogen standards Allow 3.38 kg Over its entire lifecycle, every kilogram of hydrogen produced and distributed to end users generates carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions – a 70% savings compared to fossil fuels.
This means that the production threshold is more relaxed than my colleagues and I at the Hydrogen Science Alliance have suggested. Clean Hydrogen Definitionsetting a threshold of 1 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per kilogram of hydrogen.
This represents emissions savings of over 90% and is consistent with achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This should be the end point for all hydrogen production.
The EU’s definition of low-carbon hydrogen will set a 70% emissions reduction threshold at least the same as for renewable hydrogen – so it will be critical to have an accounting scheme in place to accurately ensure that the production and distribution of blue hydrogen adheres to this starting point threshold.
First, All energy inputs must be cleanFully account for upstream emissions through transparent third-party verification of all energy sources, such as electricity used for hydrogen production and carbon capture, and similar third-party verification of all emissions across the natural gas supply chain, including methane.
second, Low CO2e production emissions must be ensuredin addition to carbon, also includes hydrogen and methane leakage throughout the life cycle.
third, CCS performance must be rigorously evaluatedCCS process energy has low CO2e emissions and can be stored for a long time. Carbon capture and leakage rates must be strictly monitored.
at last, All of this data must be independently verified by an approved auditorEnsure that the reported information corresponds to real data rather than averages and that emission thresholds are not exceeded at any stage.
A challenge worth taking on
The above conditions are a challenge for the blue hydrogen industry – both in terms of natural gas sources and the effectiveness of CCS technology.
However, meeting this standard is a necessary condition for the production of hydrogen in order to successfully reduce emissions by 2050. Meeting this challenge will ensure a long-term hydrogen economy for the EU and prevent future stranded assets, wasted investment of precious public funds and continued reliance on fossil fuel energy imports.
It will also ensure a level playing field for the hydrogen industry: ensuring that any hydrogen used in the EU meets the same clean standards, simplifying hydrogen trade, and ensuring that subsidies for hydrogen manufacturing do not favour one industry over another.
The current Commission has one last chance to lay the foundations for a strong hydrogen legacy. Will it rise to the challenge?
Subscribe now to our newsletter EU Election Explained
[ad_2]
Source link
