Halle (Saale). “The rapidly growing demand for hydrogen must be met by a massive increase in electricity generation from renewable energies,” demand the European national science academies grouped in the European Academies' Science Advisory Council (EASAC). Hydrogen is “an important alternative for sectors stuck in the fossil fuel economy”. The gas could help “reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,” says William Gillett, director of the EASAC energy program. “But the benefit to the climate is limited if we use fossil fuels to produce it – even with carbon capture and storage.” His demand: “The EU must put an end to fossil fuel subsidies.” The direct and indirect Supporting fossil fuels sends the wrong signals. Rather, the EU should revise the emissions trading directive to make CO2 more expensive and increase investor confidence in the future markets for renewable electricity and renewable hydrogen.
The growing demand for hydrogen and synthetic fuels makes it necessary to increase the production of renewable electricity in the EU. In addition, Europe will need imports and must develop partnerships with third countries to promote global trade in renewable hydrogen and the technologies to produce it.
The EASAC scientists emphasize that it is important not to commit prematurely to infrastructures that will later be made obsolete by cheaper technologies or market developments. Decentralized generation is playing an increasingly important role in the electricity sector. It makes sense to “think locally for hydrogen and proceed step by step”. Initially, decentralized electrolyzers should be used for local hydrogen production and fed into local networks, explains Gillett. Hydrogen or synthetic fuels should primarily only be used where electrification is out of the question.
In a 15-point catalogue, the scientists call on politicians, among other things, to “urgently increase the production of electricity from renewable energies” and to use this directly for renewable hydrogen production. In addition, subsidies, taxes, fees and other incentives for fossil fuels must be eliminated because they “distort energy markets and limit the growth potential for renewable hydrogen and synthetic fuels.”
Independent experts beyond the Clean Hydrogen Alliance should be included in the work to identify and develop measures to remove market obstacles. The policy should help promote the sustainable development of hydrogen markets, starting with local or regional networks near renewable electricity, hydrogen production facilities and hydrogen consumption centers. It is therefore necessary to “support the rapid development of electrolysers”, with priority given to electrolyzers with falling costs and rapid market diffusion and learning curves in order to accelerate hydrogen production.
The full list can be found on the EASAC website (see link below). The National Science Academies of the countries of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Great Britain work as an advisory committee to develop statements, reports and popular scientific writings on current socially relevant topics in the areas of energy, the environment and life sciences and address them to the EU institutions.
deep link
http://easac.eu
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