The impressive growth of renewables in Germany is a major boon for the fight against climate change. However, the infrastructure is not designed for decentralized energy production which is a significant challenge. Also, intermittency of wind and solar power is a serious obstacle for reliable and continued energy supply.
Hydrogen could be the solution. The German plan is to develop a value chain including production, storage, transportation, and consumption. The potential is there, now sound policies need to maintain the right environment for the private sector to develop the necessary innovations.
Hydrogen’s necessity
The energy transition will be a success by 2050 when Europeans can consume energy from a stable grid without emitting CO2. Two major challenges lay ahead. First, sufficient production capacity needs to be installed to replace the carbon economy. Second, the problem of storage and stabilization of the grid needs to be overcome.
While the former is merely a matter of sufficient investments in alternative production methods, the latter is more difficult. The ability to mass produce electrolyzers, for example, is a necessity to reducing cost. Therefore, innovative solutions are essential for the development of a hydrogen economy.Related: The Metal Trump Wants More Than Gold
The Ministry proposes the production of 5 GW of hydrogen by 2030 for the transportation sector, industry, and heating homes. Also, the network of filling stations needs to be expanded to make fuel cell vehicles more attractive to consumers.
The organization representing Germany’s gas grid operators (FNB Gas) has proposed a hydrogen grid of 5,900 km running along the existing natural gas network for 90 percent. This would allow the reusing of the existing infrastructure once hydrogen consumption and production takes off while natural gas decreases. According to FNB Gas chair Ralph Bahkev, “our aim is to make the existing gas infrastructure usable for the transport of hydrogen.”
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