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Experts and knowledge
National and European strategies in the field of hydrogen.
There has been a hydrogen boom in recent months, not years, in almost all the countries of the European Union, which consider it one of the keys to the continent's energy transition.
Main national hydrogen strategies in Europe
Right now there are 280 companies in Europe actively developing hydrogen technologies. 1/3 of them are system integrators (battery, electrolyzer, storage, HRS etc.) and the rest are positioned upstream in the supply chain.
And this is reflected in the number of plans and strategies implemented from as recently as December 2019 until now:
A case study: United Kingdom
In the UK they are making a very clear commitment to decarbonising industrial clusters. It is where the great industrial centres are concentrated, and where the great blue hydrogen projects are launched. In addition there is a commitment to large offshore wind energy projects throughout the country and a large commitment to the nuclear strategy to achieve a decarbonised economy. And, in addition, there is a strategy to take advantage of the large empty natural gas geological wells, for the storage of blue hydrogen.
This strategy joins another called Gas Goes Green to transfer this entire plan to the final consumer network: they decarbonise the uses, without having the production of hydrogen completely decarbonised, they are banking on blue hydrogen.
They are adapting the entire consumption network of the industry to hydrogen. The end user stops seeing natural gas and only sees blue hydrogen ... during an initial phase, because at the moment green hydrogen is not competitive. So they are buying time and paying for the change of infrastructure through a very competitive hydrogen, focusing exclusively on the generating element, and making green hydrogen competitive.
So they have not had to wait: they already have hydrogen in use (blue) and have the entire infrastructure ready for the arrival of green hydrogen.
Spain's objectives for 2030 in the field of hydrogen
It aims to install up to 4 GW of electrolysers by 2030. And Spain's plan is focused not only on the production of renewable hydrogen, but also on each of the areas of activity where demand for renewable hydrogen has the highest growth potential in this decade.
Specifically, with great emphasis on industry:
- Installation of at least 4 GW of electrolyzer power.
- Industry: minimum contribution of renewable hydrogen of 25%.
- 150-200 buses and 5,000 to 7,000 light and heavy vehicles, a very modest target for the size of the sector.
- 100 to 150 public access hydrogen stations.
- 2 commercial lines of medium and long distance trains, a very unambitious objective.
- Handling machinery for main ports and airports.
- Environmental impact: reduce emissions by 4.6 Mton of CO2 eq.
- Investments estimated at 8.9 billion euros.
- Energy storage: Commercial renewable hydrogens projects operational in 2030.
Information obtained through the hydrogen cycle, organised by Adegi. Webinar participants and speakers::
- Samuel Pérez Ramírez: Iberdrola Innovation, Sustainability and Quality division.
- Javier Rodríguez: Managing director of Cidetec Energy Storage.
- Arturo Fernández Goyenechea: Innovation manager at Petronor.
- Imanol Iturrioz: Head of R&D at the CAF Group.
- Javier Brey Sánchez: Chairman of the Spanish Hydrogen Association and H2B2 founder and CEO.
- Fernando Espiga: Head of Energy Transition at Tecnalia.
- Raquel Azcárraga: Head of Sustainability at Bankinter.
