Denmark intends to boost green hydrogen generation in order to minimize reliance on fossil fuel imports and attain carbon neutrality.
In order to achieve this aim, Denmark plans to create 6 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity to convert renewable energy into green hydrogen for the manufacturing of ammonia and methanol, as well as to cut Russian oil and gas imports as a result of Moscow’s aggression on Ukraine.
By 2030, such electrical capacity will have produced two million tons of renewable hydrogen.
Denmark intends to be carbon neutral by 2050, and the European country has significant wind energy resources to help them reach this objective.
Green hydrogen is substantially more expensive to create than fossil fuels due to high production costs and the requirement for a large quantity of power throughout the manufacturing process.
$184 million for hydrogen production
Denmark has approved a proposal for 1.2 billion Danish kroner ($184.83 million) to help commercialize green hydrogen generation.
“We have an economy that is mostly based on oil, but it will be based on hydrogen in the future,” said Dan Jorgensen, the Danish Minister of Climate and Energy.
Denmark declared a moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the North Sea in 2020, assuring the end of fossil fuel production by 2050.
“The change to hydrogen will help us get rid of fossil fuels,” Jorgensen stated, predicting that the European Union will quickly approve Denmark’s green economy plan in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The European Union is now working to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, oil, and other commodities.
Last Friday (March 11), EU leaders committed to minimizing their reliance on food, microprocessors, medicine, and raw materials imports, as well as digital technology.
Within the next five years, the European Commission plans to draft a strategy to phase off reliance on Russian gas, oil, and coal.
Factors that influence plan success
The expansion of solar and wind energy is critical to Denmark’s goal of creating green hydrogen, but the Danish Minister of Energy refuses to say if his country plans to issue new renewable energy bids as part of its transition to green hydrogen.
“Political conversations are likely to take place in this respect later this year,” he stated.
Electrolysis splits water into oxygen and hydrogen, which may subsequently be utilized for industrial reasons or as a fuel for vehicles that are difficult to operate on batteries, such as big trucks or airplanes.
By 2024, the EU hopes to raise electrolysis capacity from 0.3 GW to 6 GW, with the goal of reaching 40 GW by 2030.
Emissions of greenhouse gases
Steel and cement industries produce one-fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and if hydrogen is produced from renewable sources, it becomes a clean source of energy, and its use helps to reduce carbon emissions.
According to the European Commission’s website, methane is responsible for 96 percent of worldwide hydrogen generation, which produces waste including carbon dioxide.
Salt caverns may be used to store hydrogen for future usage and are a low-cost solution to store vast amounts of it.
According to Recharge News, in addition to the proposed tender for green hydrogen production worth 1.2 billion Danish kroner ($184.8 million), Denmark plans to offer a package of incentives to encourage hydrogen production in the country, including lower electricity fees for green fuel producers and the ability to operate power lines directly from solar and wind energy.
