Research claims that while hydrogen won’t be the main energy source in the future, it will still be crucial to global climate policy.

This is the finding of research that the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research presented. The experts predict that the transportation industry will have the highest need for hydrogen. Accordingly, the percentage of the total energy needed in the EU transportation industry in 2050 might be 28 percent. The usage of H2 synthesis products in international shipping and aviation traffic is predetermined. However, the application of hydrogen in automobile and truck traffic is less obvious.

Thus, regional climate policies and their level of ambition also influence the worldwide demand for hydrogen. By 2050, the percentage is predicted to reach up to 14 percent for the EU, but just 4 percent for China, according to the majority of projections.

A so-called meta-study headed by the Fraunhofer ISI looked at the potential relevance of hydrogen in the future. The researchers examined more than 40 energy systems and hydrogen scenarios as part of the HyPat study project. According to Fraunhofer researcher Martin Wietschel, “energy conservation measures and direct electrification based on renewable power, for example through heat pumps, electric cars, or in heating networks, are viewed as the most essential levers to cut greenhouse gas emissions globally.” In situations where alternative technologies cannot be economically or technically adopted, hydrogen can be useful.