03.12.19
Hydrogen: the key to unlocking a zero carbon future?
With the UK Government’s recent commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Professor Joe Howe, chair of the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA) and executive director of the Thornton energy Institute looks at the part that Hydrogen can play in being crucial to the solution.
Decarbonisation of our energy systems remains one of the biggest challenges we are facing, one I think can be solved with hydrogen.
While the task is extremely ambitious, things have already begun take shape. Major advances in wind and solar energies have been evolving over the past few years and we now have legal support from the 2008 Climate Change Act.
The planet has copious amounts of hydrogen that is not being used to its best potential. When burnt, it produces no harmful CO2 emissions, unlike natural gas, making it a more environmentally sound choice for our homes, businesses and transport networks.
As long as the hydrogen produced is from low carbon sources, hydrogen could be the catalyst to removing the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK.
The other important thing to consider with hydrogen is that it can be safely stored and piped to homes and businesses through existing infrastructure. Though this option isn’t without its limitations; domestic appliances can safely use up to 20% hydrogen as they are, but new appliances would be needed for full conversion.
Hydrogen would need to be widely embraced by society to significantly contribute to net zero carbon and several interrelated issues must be solved. These include, connecting infrastructure, regulatory and legal frameworks, the development of supply and demand side technologies and the creation of an investible proposition.
The switch to hydrogen would not be without its costs, and there isn’t enough electricity to produce the quantity we need. On a short-term basis however, ‘blue’ hydrogen (made from ‘cleaning up’ natural gas using a process called reforming) can be used due to its ease of deployment, quickly and in large quantities. This will pave the way for ‘green’ hydrogen to be introduced through the development of the supply chain and the building of the necessary infrastructure.
The north west of England has the potential to lead the way as the UK’s first hydrogen economy, home to HyNet, the most advanced hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage project in the UK. This could mean the blending of hydrogen onto the gas grid and piped into homes and businesses by 2024.
Whilst the switch to hydrogen might seem overwhelming and over ambitious, the positive side of it is the vast business opportunities to those willing to act first and embrace the future. Exciting new jobs and demands for skilled workers will be presented due to the investments in clean technology.
The north west has pledged to becoming the UK’s first low carbon industrial cluster by 2030, the results of which are estimated at over £4bn investment and 33,000 new jobs, all the while saving 10 million tonnes of carbon per year.
Hydrogen could be the critical piece of the net zero puzzle, in fact, it’s hard to see how we can get there without it. Any future government will need to play a role in the move to hydrogen regarding social acceptance and industrial transformation incentives, and if they do, the UK has a charge to lead the decarbonisation revolution, showing the rest of the world the way.
Professor Joe Howe is joining Dr Tom Knowland, Head of Sustainable Energy and Climate Change at Leeds City Council and others for a lively panel discussion on decarbonisation and the future of energy for the Northern Powerhouse at the EvoNorth 2020 conference on the 5th March in Manchester. To book you place and listen to this debate visit the website.