It may prove difficult to achieve the complete decarbonisation of various industrial sectors such as buildings, power or transport purely by means of electricity. One of the major advantages of hydrogen is that it is a versatile all-rounder for a host of applications. Renewable electricity can be used to produce hydrogen, which in turn can provide energy. Moreover, hydrogen produced from renewable electricity using electrolyser could facilitate the integration of high levels of variable renewable energy into the energy system, offering a flexible load and providing grid-balancing services.
Hydrogen could therefore be the missing link in the energy transition. As key hydrogen technologies are maturing (fuel cell vehicles, syngas etc.), hydrogen from renewables can help tackle various critical energy challenges. In particular, it could offer ways to decarbonise a range of sectors where it is proving difficult to meaningfully reduce CO2 emissions. All these aspects require the implementation of a forward-looking legal, political and technical regulatory framework.
This session will provide an overview of challenges and opportunities entailed in the large-scale application of hydrogen technologies.