H2Tech - Q3 2022 - 14

SPECIAL FOCUS PATHWAYS FOR SUSTAINABLE H2
A carbon-neutral world to avoid further climate change is
within reach without needing to completely change the world,
the products we use or our way of life. We can also see that green
H2
and Power-to-X are key elements in this transition. The question
is: How do we ramp up the green H2
economy? For this, we
must consider the whole value chain-the production of green
H2
and derivatives, their transport to their application destination
and the application itself. In the case of direct reductions in green
steel production, some considerable investments will be needed.
Accordingly, all parts of the value chain must be pushed and
ramped up simultaneously. Large, industry-wide programs2
are
helping to scale up electrolysis to industrial levels with the accompanying
cost reductions. However, the cost reduction of green H2
production alone does not make for a feasible business case when
green fuels must compete with fossil fuels without integrating the
external cost of additional carbon introduced to the atmosphere.
Thus, carbon taxation is needed as well as smart carbon contract
programs3
Setting up a global H2
to make larger Power-to-X projects bankable (FIG. 1).
economy is necessary to leverage renewable
energy potential in regions where it cannot be otherwise
used and to avoid cannibalizing renewable energy capacities
in regions with high demand. This would also help to bring
sustainable prosperity to more parts of the world and could solve
strong global interdependencies in energy trading.
Large-scale off-takers such as steel production must be creat.
Even if blue H2
ed4
can be made and H2
sequently, as soon as green H2
is relied upon in a starting phase, investments
pipeline infrastructures can be created. Subproduction
is at scale, a switch to
green H2 is possible with all the major investments made up to
that point. As such, it is acceptable for many of the first large Power-to-X
projects to rely on efuels, since ocean transport of elemental
H2
is challenging. Efuels can complement a green H2
economy,
are an enabler for larger electrolyzer plant setups and can resolve
the chicken or egg dilemma until H2
grids become available to
provide inexpensive transport, storage and distribution options.
Seen from an industry perspective, we can say that we are
ready and eager to shape the future. We are prepared to take the
risk and invest in our portfolios' transformation to provide the
necessary technologies. Now, we need the essential political action
to ramp up a global green H2
bonization targets into reality.
economy and convert decarREFERENCES
FIG.
1. An electrolyzer and wind farm in northern Germany.
Complete references available online at www.H2-Tech.com.
14 Q3 2022 | H2
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