(Berlin) - The demand for hydrogen in Germany will exceed domestic production in the future. A high proportion therefore has to be imported. So far, everyone involved in the topic agrees on this. The working group of the academy project “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS) now has the 
Possibilities for transporting hydrogen and its derivatives by ship and pipeline to Germany were examined and the results have now been published as part of a study.
The authors asked, among other things, what import options there are, what costs are to be expected and what action is needed to build a transport infrastructure by 2030. Although it is “fundamentally irrelevant how the hydrogen is produced”, the analysis focuses on green hydrogen “in order to highlight its relevance for the restructuring of the energy system and the climate neutrality to be achieved”.
Import of ammonia by ship possible immediately
According to the scientists, the import of green ammonia, which is particularly needed in the chemical and fertilizer industries, could start “immediately” by ship. There are already existing structures and implementation would be possible in around two years if there is enough green hydrogen available.
However, ammonia should then “be used directly as a synthesis product without extracting the bound hydrogen again, as this would be more energetically inefficient and expensive,” say the researchers. The substance could then replace the import of conventional ammonia or part of the domestically produced fossil-based ammonia and would be economically competitive in 2030. If significantly larger quantities are imported into Germany beyond the current imports, for example to be used as a hydrogen carrier, the existing import infrastructure would have to be expanded accordingly, which, however, “does not appear to be fully feasible” by 2030.
Hydrogen transport in pipelines up to 4.000 kilometers
A timely import of pure hydrogen would be possible if existing natural gas pipelines were converted for gaseous hydrogen. “With efficient planning and rapid implementation” as well as a parallel development of the necessary capacities to produce electricity from renewable energies in the producing country, “significant quantities” could be transported to Germany within around three to five years. However, it would take around eight to ten years to build a completely new hydrogen pipeline on a route that does not yet exist.
From a cost perspective, using large pipelines to transport pure hydrogen over distances of up to 4.000 kilometers is the cheapest of all the options examined, and at the same time has the highest efficiency of the transport chains under consideration. However, it is challenging to “ensure the utilization of such a large, cost-effective hydrogen pipeline,” because producing the required amount requires extensive electrolysis capacity and a correspondingly large amount of renewable electricity.
For a pipeline with a transport capacity of 6.000 to 7.000 tons of hydrogen per day (around 50 terawatt hours of hydrogen per year), which is at 60 percent capacity, around 85 terawatt hours of electricity would have to be provided in the exporting country, according to the study. This corresponds to a combined system output of wind and photovoltaic systems of around 35 gigawatts.
Transporting liquid hydrogen by ship
Beyond 2030, transporting liquid hydrogen by ship is also “a valid option”. Importing is economically worthwhile, especially for distances of over 4.000 kilometers, because the total costs of ship transport hardly increase with the transport distance. However, it is currently “unforeseeable until when sufficiently large ship fleets will be available for commercial liquid hydrogen transport”.
It is also possible to bind the hydrogen to a carrier medium such as LOHC or ammonia and then dehydrate it again in Germany. “From a cost perspective, however, these options appear to be disadvantageous compared to transport with liquid hydrogen tankers.” In addition, both technologies also have “a clear need for development and scaling, which is why they cannot be expected to be implemented in a timely manner,” say the scientists.
Export countries with potential for renewables
For cooperation with exporting countries, it is important that they have enough renewable energy potential “in order to be able to export hydrogen in addition to their own defossilization.” In addition, possible conflicts over resources must be taken into account - for example with regard to the availability of space or water supply.
The working group examined six export countries as examples. The criteria for the country analysis were, on the one hand, the local conditions for renewable energies, the energy, production and export infrastructures as well as progress in the defossilization of the energy system. On the other hand, the example countries are evaluated based on whether they have already established trade partnerships with Germany, whether their economy is export-oriented and whether there is a willingness in society to support hydrogen projects.
According to one list, Spain and Ukraine are at the top as potential export countries from a cost perspective. The transport of gaseous green hydrogen via pipeline from Spain costs around 7 to 13 cents per kilowatt hour, and from Ukraine it costs 6,5 to 12,5 cents. The cost of a product made from fossil electricity in Germany would be 8 to 11 cents. In addition, import routes from Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Brazil were examined.
Economic and legal challenges
According to the information, not only technical but also economic and legal challenges must be overcome in order to quickly and successfully enter the hydrogen economy. Very high investments are required to set up entire import chains - from production to transport to distribution. “In order to incentivize these sums, a reliable economic framework is required that makes the use of green synthetic energy sources competitive compared to fossil energy sources and offers long-term investment security,” says the study.
However, in order for a cross-border hydrogen market to emerge, it must be ensured that the requirements for green hydrogen and its synthesis products are actually met internationally in the respective value chains. This also includes the development of information and recording systems. Initially, however, investors should not be deterred by excessive regulatory measures.
Avoid quick shots
The scientists believe that “an ambitious entry into the hydrogen economy” is necessary. However, quick decisions should be avoided and one must think on a European and global scale - even beyond 2030. The import quantities required by 2030 can in principle be procured “if the right infrastructural, legal and entrepreneurial course is set quickly”.
The working group of the academy project “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS) led by Frithjof Staiß from the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) is a joint initiative of the German Academy of Engineering Sciences. V. (Acatech), the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina e. V. and the Union of German Academies of Sciences. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
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Transporting liquid hydrogen by ship is “a valid option”, but it is not foreseeable until when sufficiently large fleets will be available for commercialization, according to the study. © Hyundai Motor Group
Staiß, F. et al.: “Options for importing green hydrogen to Germany by 2030: Transport routes – country assessments – implementation requirements”. The study is available free of charge PDF (128 pages).
