Ready4H2 – The Value of Local Hydrogen Distribution Networks in a Decarbonised Europe

Ready4H2 – The value of local hydrogen distribution networks in a decarbonised Europe.

For decades European local gas networks have shown the ability to deliver reliable, cost-effective and safe pipeline distribution to millions of customers.

The Ready4H2 alliance believes that local gas networks will also add value to address the challenges to achieve the huge growth and carbon reduction potential of hydrogen in Europe.

1. Gas infrastructure provides the means to cope with rapidly growing shares of variable wind and solar power by transporting hydrogen from decentralized production to consumers and the European hydrogen market.
2. Gas infrastructure has the capacity to handle large seasonality in demand (between summer and winter by a factor of 2 to 6) providing reliable supply of hydrogen even during the coldest winters. Large scale hydrogen underground storage facilities linked to gas networks are the only fast-acting, long-lasting (days to weeks) storage capacity at enormous scale to cope with variable power production and demand for gas among European consumers.
3. Local gas networks provide a flexible decarbonisation pathway for customers as they are well-positioned to distribute and manage varying local blends of molecules and, to a large extent, are ready to convert relatively quickly to adapt 100% hydrogen.
4. As 99% of industrial and commercial gas end-users are connected to local gas networks, we are crucial to bring the European hydrogen backbone to life and deliver large volumes of hydrogen to millions of customers. Local gas network will facilitate a competitive hydrogen market, meaning more hydrogen for users at a cheaper price.
5. Local gas networks provide a cost-efficient pathway. Cost analysis shows that in a decarbonisation scenario including significant volumes of hydrogen and green methane, investment in the combined power and gas infrastructure is estimated to save 41 bn EUR/year compared to a power dominated scenario. Essentially, spending a few billion a year more on gas infrastructure saves tens of billions per year of power infrastructure investment development per year
6. Local gas networks have a lot to offer meet Europe’s ambitious climate goals. The Ready4H2 consortium sees a clear role for local gas networks in the transition process towards net-zero. Thanks for staying up to date with Hydrogen Central.

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Ready4H2: Europe’s Local Hydrogen Networks, source

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