[Haichuan Hydrogen Energy] Approaches and Cases for Hydrogen Utilization in Europe
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Approaches and Cases to Hydrogen Utilization in Europe The Paris Agreement sets the goal of keeping the global average temperature rise in the 21st century within 2°C, and limiting the increase in global temperatures to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this goal, the EU needs to significantly increase the generation of electricity from renewable sources and raise the electrification rate among end-users. In the future, wind and solar energy will account for 30% to 60% of the EU’s total electricity generation, while the electrification rate is set to rise to 50% to 65% by 2050. This requires that future energy supply systems be able to meet the needs of various industries in the context of a low-carbon trend, withstand the impacts that large-scale renewable energy sources can have on the stable operation of power grids, and efficiently transport energy from supply centers to demand centers. Utilizing hydrogen energy to address these challenges is recognized in Europe as the most viable solution. Under the EU’s hydrogen utilization plan, in terms of hydrogen production, the PtG technology is primarily used to address the issues related to the use and transportation of renewable energy in Europe. PtG technology utilizes excess renewable energy to electrolyze water, converting electrical energy into hydrogen, thereby enabling the use and long-term storage of renewable energy in the form of chemical energy. The hydrogen produced through electrolysis can be utilized in various ways in areas such as transportation, industrial applications, and gas power generation. It can also be mixed into natural gas pipelines for storage and transportation. Additionally, hydrogen and carbon dioxide can be combined to produce methane, which can then be fed into natural gas pipelines. The schematic diagram of EU’s PtG technology and applications is shown as follows.
Renewable energy resources in Europe are usually located far from demand centers; for example, the capacity in North Africa or Southern Europe far exceeds the region’s energy needs. Although electricity can be transmitted to these demand areas via long-distance power grids, high costs arising from policy and planning issues in various countries make this approach difficult to implement. Converting renewable energy on-site into hydrogen before transporting it is considered a more viable approach to solving the problem of transporting renewable energy over long distances. Currently, there are over 128 various types of PtG demonstration projects across Europe, which are being carried out widely in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark. In addition, Germany plans to complete a 100MW PtG project by 2022 ； Europe’s ambitious energy plan (the 100GW North Sea wind power hub project) also includes the installation of PtG projects on the artificial islands of this hub; once completed by 2030, around 10,000 wind turbines will supply power to the hydrogen production facilities. In addition to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the EU is developing technologies to mix hydrogen into Europe’s natural gas network to create a mixture. Delivering the mixture directly to residential customers through natural gas pipelines as fuel is one of the main development directions for hydrogen utilization in Europe. Building energy consumption accounts for the second largest share of total energy consumption in Europe, and 15% of total carbon dioxide emissions. To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, carbon emissions in this sector need to be reduced by 57% from current levels. There are various methods for building energy efficiency, but using hydrogen to \"decarbonize\" natural gas is considered in Europe to be a more competitive approach in terms of implementation difficulty and cost-effectiveness. Natural gas is the main fuel for heating buildings in Europe, accounting for 42% of all household energy consumption. Europe’s natural gas network supplies gas to around 90 million households. Research by FCHJU shows that existing natural gas pipeline networks can accommodate up to 20% hydrogen mixed in (by volume) without the need for major upgrades. At the same time, existing natural gas infrastructure and technologies can also be utilized for large-scale, efficient hydrogen storage. The storage capacity of Europe’s natural gas network is 36 billion m3; at a 10% mixing ratio, the hydrogen that can be stored is equivalent to up to 100 TW·h of electrical energy. The EU is also planning to upgrade the gas pipeline network into a hydrogen-only supply system. Pilot studies in the UK show that, aside from being technically feasible, upgrading natural gas pipelines to hydrogen supply pipelines requires an investment cost of only 100–120 pounds per unit, whereas upgrading home heat pump systems to achieve the same carbon reduction requires an investment cost of 270–320 pounds per unit. The comparison between the hydrogen-mixed gas pipeline system and the pure hydrogen pipeline system is shown in Table 2.
By 2030, once completed, around 10,000 wind turbines will supply power to the electrolysis hydrogen production facilities. What will the output value be for this? ? ?
I just want to know: after hydrogenation, the calorific value is lower – will the price of natural gas drop?
Undoubtedly, the use of water electrolysis to produce hydrogen for consumption in the field of new energy will be a trend in the coming years. There is a general consensus that using hydrogen as a new energy source is the solution to the impacts and instability issues faced by power grids