Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin’s Post

Hydrogen in the Power Sector: Limited Prospects in a Decarbonized Electric Grid Conclusions of the report: “Using hydrogen as a fuel for decarbonizing power generation, while technically feasible, is unlikely to be economic at a large scale compared to other options for decarbonizing the power sector. Moreover, because the production and delivery of hydrogen requires large amounts of energy and incurs numerous supply chain inefficiencies, expanded reliance on hydrogen cannot be seen to improve energy security (on the contrary, increased generation hydrogen could significantly increase overall demand for other primary energy resources required to generate hydrogen, including clean electricity). In contrast to its limited potential for decarbonizing the power system, low-carbon hydrogen is likely to have much more economic and climate value if it is used to decarbonize heavy industry, where hydrogen is already widely used but also overwhelmingly supplied, at present, using carbon-intensive production processes. Industrial application may also be able to avoid the need for costly storage and transport infrastructure that would be necessary for power sector applications. Hydrogen is also likely to be a useful and economic option for decarbonizing some heavy freight. In the power sector context, electrolytic hydrogen production using surplus renewable electricity could have some role as a form of long-duration energy storage. In fact, pumped storage hydropower aside, electrolytic hydrogen production is arguably one of few technically feasible ways today to convert significant quantities of electricity to an energy form that can be stored over long periods of time (weeks and months) and then reconverted to electricity. However, a systems perspective can yield many alternative strategies for addressing (or reducing) the grid balancing challenges presented by large- scale deployment of weather-dependent renewable resources, such as increasing the amount of more cost-effective climate-friendly firm technologies such as nuclear and geothermal. The only economic case for hydrogen as a power plant fuel rests in regions where such alternatives are politically excluded, a policy decision which may significantly raise the costs of a low carbon grid.” Link to the report: https://lnkd.in/eeNzT6WQ #hydrogen #powergeneration #efficiency #costs #greenhydrogen #alternatives #eugreendeal #electrolysis #electrification #energytransition #energystorage #emissionreduction #decarbonisation #powersector #industry

https://lnkd.in/dMxnQfbq German Federal Network Agency has approved the core hydrogen network plan submitted by transmission network operators. This approval marks the end of an intensive planning phase and clears the way for building the extensive hydrogen infrastructure that will connect key hydrogen production and consumption sites across the country. The core network will span 9,040 kilometers, with approximately 60 percent converted from existing natural gas pipelines, and the rest newly constructed. By 2032, it is expected to have an input capacity of 101 GW and output of 87 GW. This network is designed to enhance Germany’s industrial competitiveness and support its decarbonization efforts.

Who will bear the cost of producing green hydrogen at a variable rate? that question makes me have serious concerns about the costs of using hydrogen generation as a way to utilize excess renewable energy. A clean hydrogen plant, like any other manufacturing facility, is designed for a certain production rate. If it produces less than that, it will lose income compared to the expected rate. Even if the electricity is free (which is unlikely in reality), the operating costs are not negligible, including both variable and fixed costs. Is it fair to reduce the profitability of hydrogen producers just because they depend on an unreliable power source? Shouldn’t the intermittent part of the energy system be responsible for the economic consequences instead of the hydrogen producers? This is why I think the idea of converting surplus renewable energy to hydrogen, as suggested by some proponents of intermittent sources, is not viable in a market economy. Wood Mackenzie also finds an additional problem in a recent report (https://lnkd.in/gm64ahNr). The US Treasury’s hourly matching rules for green hydrogen will not only make hydrogen more expensive, but indirectly benefit blue H2 — potentially increasing the average carbon intensity of “clean” hydrogen in the country. This implies that green hydrogen and intermittent sources can only work together in a heavily regulated market, typical of neofascist and communist economies, not in a free market economy that has brought so much good to the West. Is there a solution? Yes, use reliable sources for energy generation when reliability matters, such as hydro, nuclear, and geothermal, which can produce the cleanest hydrogen around the clock.

The fission industry is ignorant of what's happening around it and has buried its head in the sand. Pull your heads out and start backing, investing, and adjusting your industry to fusion energy and start preparing to enter the commercial growing fusion energy industry. Great Headline Guardian on Nuclear fission. https://lnkd.in/g8sMZtpR Fission is moving towards obsolescence at an accelerated pace, as it is "out of step, out of time, out of place," and merely a temporary industry globally. Commercial fusion electrical energy generation is a promising and innovative method of producing sustainable and clean energy. By 2028, Helion is expected to start producing electricity from its first fusion commercial power plant, which will provide electricity to Microsoft. The plant will produce at least 50 MWe after an initial ramp-up period. https://lnkd.in/gY9J3MQY If you want nuclear energy, opt for the cleaner and safer option of FUSION. Now see what news is happening in the Fusion industry in the world. https://lnkd.in/g9hMBD7a As fission trebles, fission fuel shortage in 100 or 80 years is increasingly real, as stated in recent UN documents and linked below. https://lnkd.in/gze5rwpr

The Hydrogen & Decarbonized Gas Package has been published in the EU's Official Journal today and will enter into force on the 3rd of August. Read Oxford Institute for Energy Studies recent paper by Katja Yafimava analyzing the Package and its implications for hydrogen and natural gas networks, examining in particular whether the new rules ensure flexibility and security of supply. 👉 Link to paper: https://lnkd.in/e_35hwaq   Key points 💠 The Package, together with the TEN-E Regulation, will constitute the new regulatory framework, governing construction of, and access to, hydrogen networks, and the re-purposing and de-commissioning of, and access to, natural gas networks in the EU. 💠 This paper analyses the impact of this framework on the existing natural gas networks and the emerging hydrogen network, and seeks to establish specifically whether its rules ensure flexibility and security of supply. 💠 The paper concludes that although regulatory flexibility is built into the framework by establishing a transition implementation period, allowing exemptions and derogations for existing and new hydrogen infrastructure, and enabling financial and regulatory support via a PCI/PMI status, it is far from certain to be sufficient to enable the EU hydrogen market to develop at scale. 💠 The framework also does not guarantee that phasing in hydrogen networks and phasing out natural gas networks – either through re-purposing or de-commissioning – will be carried out in a coordinated manner across the EU, without negatively affecting the security of natural gas supply. 💠 The framework appears to be built on the premise that the EU hydrogen market will develop fast and at scale but lacks a “safety cushion” as it does not guarantee the coordinated re-purposing of the natural gas networks that could still be needed should the hydrogen market roll-out be slower and more gradual. 💠 The framework could of course be adjusted and will continue to remain ‘work in progress’ at least until 2030 as more rules are established in the upcoming network codes in the 2020s, as the hydrogen market rolls out (or fails to do so).

Hydrogen core network FNB Gas e.V. submitted the joint application of the transmission system operators for the hydrogen core network to the Federal Network Agency on 22nd. July, 2024. This marks the next milestone in the realization of the core network. Key data of the hydrogen core network according to the application of The total length of the optimized core grid according to the application is 9,666 km . Of this, 802 km is accounted for by pipelines from 16 other potential hydrogen network operators (distribution network operators). The core network consists mainly of converted natural gas pipelines (approx. 60%). The investment costs amount to € 19.7 billion. The feed-in and feed-out capacities amount to around 100 GW and 87 GW respectively. The core grid meets the targets set out in the EnWG for a Germany-wide, expandable, efficient, climate-friendly and rapidly realizable hydrogen grid by the target year 2032. In order to create more flexibility in the implementation of the projects, the ENWG Energienetze Weimar GmbH & Co. KG also provides for the possibility of deferring individual approved core grid measures if certain measures only prove necessary at a later date up to 2037. The core network puts Germany at the forefront of infrastructure development in Europe. It is the starting signal and the basis for the development of the hydrogen market. The TSOs are thus making an advance payment: the core network is the offer to the market, it comes for the market and continues to develop with it. Dr. Thomas Gößmann board member of FNB Gas e.V. said With the core network, we are creating a central prerequisite for the successful hydrogen ramp-up in Germany and thus for the decarbonization of industry and energy supply. It gives market participants the security they need to invest in the hydrogen economy and the transformation to climate neutrality. The hydrogen ramp-up is now a joint task for all market participants. Osama Fawzy Georgy HENEIN, MBA

The British Energy Security Strategy emphasizes hydrogen's essential role in the UK's transition to a low-carbon energy system. While there is minimal low-carbon hydrogen in the UK today, the plan outlines how advances in renewable and nuclear energy will support the rapid scaling of hydrogen production. By 2030, the UK aims to achieve up to 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity, with at least half from electrolytic (green) hydrogen, powered by surplus renewable energy to aid in grid flexibility and storage. The strategy also seeks to blend hydrogen into the natural gas grid (up to 20%). It supports various forms of hydrogen production: “blue” from natural gas with carbon capture, “green” from renewable-powered electrolysis, and “pink” from nuclear-powered electrolysis. Immediate actions include annual funding rounds for electrolytic hydrogen, developing hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure, and establishing a certification scheme to ensure high standards for domestic and imported hydrogen. These measures aim to develop the UK as a global leader in clean hydrogen, building a robust hydrogen economy that supports emissions reduction, energy security, and economic growth. Circular Refining’s Contribution At Circular Refining, our mission aligns with the UK’s vision for a sustainable hydrogen economy. We are dedicated to advancing innovative, circular hydrogen production methods that prioritize resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact and support long-term infrastructure growth. By partnering with government and industry stakeholders, we aim to accelerate the UK’s hydrogen targets, delivering clean energy solutions that reinforce the British Energy Security Strategy's goals of resilience, sustainability, and global leadership in hydrogen. #HydrogenEconomy #EnergySecurity #NetZero #BritishEnergyStrategy #GreenHydrogen #BlueHydrogen #PinkHydrogen #Electrolysis #CarbonCapture #RenewableEnergy #SustainableEnergy #CircularEconomy #CircularRefining #EnergyTransition #Decarbonization #HydrogenProduction #LowCarbon #EnergyInfrastructure #CleanEnergy #UKHydrogen

Hydrogen is key to the UK’s low-carbon future, offering a sustainable alternative to high-carbon fuels across power, heating, and transport. The British Energy Security Strategy sets a bold target of 10GW low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030, half from green hydrogen. With clear policies and industry collaboration, the UK is positioned to lead globally in hydrogen innovation and clean energy solutions. Circular Refining, Mark Shaw and I are committed to supporting this vision by promoting efficient, circular hydrogen practices that drive progress toward net zero. #HydrogenEconomy #BritishEnergyStrategy #NetZero #GreenHydrogen #SustainableFuture #EnergyTransition #LowCarbon #CircularRefining #UKHydrogen #EnergySecurity #CleanEnergy #Decarbonization

The Draft Scenario Framework for the Gas and Hydrogen Network Development Plan 2025, provides an overview of the planned transition to a hydrogen economy and the integration of gas and hydrogen networks in Germany. - The report outlines the development of the integrated Gas and Hydrogen Network Development Plan 2025 for Germany, to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. It introduces a scenario-based approach focusing on climate protection targets, moving away from a demand-based approach. - The legal basis for the transformation of Germany's gas infrastructure has been set by recent amendments to the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG). Starting in 2025, the gas transmission system operators and regulated hydrogen network operators are required to develop an integrated Gas and Hydrogen Network Development Plan every two years. - The framework includes multiple scenarios that explore potential developments over the next 10 to 15 years and up to 2045. These scenarios assess the impact of different energy sources and efficiency measures on the transmission infrastructure for both gas and hydrogen. -  The hydrogen core network is crucial for Germany's transition to a hydrogen economy. The first stage of the network development focuses on repurposing existing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transmission, with further stages planned for expansion based on demand. - The report emphasizes the importance of integrated planning for both gas and hydrogen networks to maximize synergies and ensure a secure, affordable, and climate-neutral energy supply. -The discrepancy between methane demand forecasts and climate policy-based energy scenarios highlights the uncertainty in the market. The report calls for clarity in policy and planning to reduce this uncertainty and support the transformation process. 4 Scenarios: Scenario 1️⃣ : Focus on Electricity - Prioritizes increased electricity use with lower hydrogen demand. Scenario 2️⃣ : Focus on Hydrogen - Emphasizes moderate to intensive use of hydrogen. Scenario 3️⃣ : Focus on Reduced Efficiency - Assumes lower efficiency increases and higher overall energy demand. Scenario 4️⃣ : Focus on Security of Supply - Demand-oriented scenario based on reported methane and hydrogen demand. #Naturalgas #Hydrogen #Sustainable #SustainableEnergyAnalytics #Sustainability #Energytransition #Decarbonization

The Texas Hydrogen Production Policy Council has released a comprehensive report to the Texas Legislature outlining steps to strengthen the state’s leadership in the hydrogen industry. With over 50 years of experience and a robust infrastructure that includes 1,000 miles of pure hydrogen pipelines, Texas is already a global leader in conventional hydrogen production. The report recommends leveraging existing regulatory frameworks while addressing areas for improvement, such as hydrogen-specific leak detection and infrastructure standards. It also highlights the significant economic potential of expanding hydrogen production, including job creation, infrastructure development, and increased GDP. As hydrogen technologies and markets evolve, these recommendations will guide Texas’ strategy for maintaining its competitive edge in the energy transition. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eKw5X_xp #ushydrogenalliance #hydrogen #cleanhydrogen #hydrogennow #hydrogeneconomy #hydrogenhubs #fuelcell #zeroemission #energy #cleanenergy #decarbonization #sustainability