Role of green hydrogen in future decarbonised and optimised European energy systems

Introduction

Achieving climate neutrality, necessitates the consideration of different technologies.

On the one hand renewables-based, direct electrification gathers consensus and should be prioritised, as the most cost- and resource-efficient way to decarbonise end-users.

On the other, green hydrogen will play a role in specific applications in hard-to-electrify sectors and as long-term storage.

But what are the impacts of green hydrogen deployment on the energy system? What are the infrastructural needs? And what are the barriers and challenges lying ahead?

With these questions in mind and drawing upon previous successful exchanges with energy modellers, RGI facilitated the Modellers’ Exchange Workshop “Towards climate neutrality: Role of green hydrogen in future decarbonised and optimised European energy systems”.

The event was organised within the framework of the Paris Agreement Compatible (PAC) Scenario project, in collaboration with Hitachi Energy and with the support of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a PAC project partner.

A diverse group of about 20 participants, including representatives from the energy modelling community, NGOs, grid operators and demand-side, shared their perspective into the topic.In the context of electricity grids, the Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) provides a European-wide planning framework for the future power system to ensure a cost-effective energy transition.