The report summarizes the key findings from the “Renewable gases – H2 in the grid” project, with an emphasis on the unique role of hydrogen (H2) in gas grids.
H2 is the only renewable gas that possesses the following characteristics:
- has a very high long-term potential because its production is only limited by the amount of renewable; energy available suggests compatibility difficulties with existing gas infrastructure.
Renewable gases, including H2, will be a critical component of the global energy system that seeks to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in accordance with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement’s 1.5 °C target. According to the IEA’s new Net Zero Emissions scenario for 2050, fossil gas supply will peak in the mid-2020s and continue to decline through 2050 under a rigorous greenhouse gas mitigation approach. Simultaneously, renewable gases (biomethane, H2, and synthetic methane based on H2) will need to be greatly increased.
The importance of renewable gases in national policies for GHG emission reductions between 2030 and 2050, as well as the associated estimations of the amounts required, were evaluated, with a particular emphasis on H2 strategies and roadmaps. All of countries (with the exception of Russia) emphasize the importance of H2 in decarbonizing their economy between 2030 and 2050, with major contributions from H2.
The majority of country policies and roadmaps view H2 as a means of overcoming electrification’s limitations and assisting in the stabilization of electrical networks in the face of an increasing share of variable renewable energy, particularly solar and wind. Certain H2 methods place a premium on the potential role of long-term energy storage in bridging seasonal changes in renewable energy generation. Several countries have expressed a desire to export H2 by 2030 and beyond, while others anticipate H2 imports.
Along with trade, the majority of initiatives emphasize domestic H2 application in difficult-to-reduce sectors, i.e., industries where GHG emission reductions from renewable electricity are hampered, such as chemical manufacturing, steel production, and transportation (aviation, long-haul road, shipping). Almost all country policies and roadmaps discuss the importance of current gas infrastructure[1] in future H2 transmission and distribution, and view H2 clusters as a critical step toward H2 adoption in industry and regional H2 networks.
