Page 22 - Gi August 2020

heading for hydrogen

WORLD PRIMARY ENERGY SUPPLY BY SOURCE HISTORICAL DATA SOURCE: IEA WEB (2018)

UNITS: EXAJOULES PER YEAR (EJ/YR)
700
WIND
600 SOLAR PV
SOLAR THERMAL
500
HYDROPOWER
400 BIOMASS

300 GEOTHERMAL
NUCLEAR FUELS
200
NATURAL GAS
100 OIL
COAL
0
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

site – the world’s first comprehensive atmosphere costs virtually nothing. Our technical and market analysis to
hydrogen testing facility. 2019 Energy Transition Outlook finds provide a knowledge base for decisions
The second area is to develop efficient that CCS will not scale until the 2040s regarding national strategy and policy
hydrogen infrastructure. Countries with without changes to government policy. measures. It’s also about collaboration
natural gas transmission and delivery However, if policymakers make between organisations and companies
systems in place can continue to use bold decisions – the types of bold to bring together the best technical
those assets in a hydrogen economy. decisions that stimulated other clean expertise and experience that will
Even where existing infrastructure technologies like solar and wind – drive this forward.
can be reused or repurposed, there large-scale uptake can happen.
will still be issues to resolve. Our Industry can also play a role by If policymakers make bold
experts are helping companies across finding ways to reduce the cost of
the global oil and gas value chain to implementing CCS. Some 62 per cent of decisions – the types of bold
develop hydrogen-fit infrastructure. senior oil and gas industry professionals decisions that stimulated other
One operational constraint to overcome think the sector should drive adoption clean technologies like solar
includes the fact that hydrogen pipeline forward immediately, and not wait for and wind – large-scale uptake
networks may need to be operated at government policies/incentives.
different pressures (or velocity) than The final enabler for the growth can happen
natural gas/biogas. of hydrogen relates to the need to
Further research may be needed incentivise value chains through In the UK, Antony Green, Project
into whether hydrogen could have policy. The quicker that government Director for Hydrogen at National Grid,
an adverse effect on materials (e.g., incentivises industry to adopt said in the report: “The UK’s net zero
in pipes and valves) and finally, technology, the quicker the technology targets have put a massive impetus on
various appliances would need to goes down the cost-learning curve and utility networks to find the right path.
be converted or replaced (e.g., water becomes independently financially As a result, we’ve seen collaboration like
heaters, compressors, pumps and viable. Use cases will create demand never before over this last 12 months.”
sensors). An interesting example is the for hydrogen, and demand will lead
project DNV GL has been undertaking to further investment, lower costs, Shifting the timeline
in the Netherlands – the Power2Gas greater acceptance, and the momentum The challenge now is not in the
programme being led by Stedin, a needed to build sustainable supply ambition, but in changing the timeline.
Dutch gas and power grid operator. We chains. But to make use cases a reality, This is a challenge of adaptability, laid
have been managing and providing governments and inter-governmental bare in 2020 as the world is blindsided
expert support to test that homes can organisations have to make more long- by a dramatic black swan event. But
be heated by 100 per cent hydrogen term policy commitments. our research suggests that once the
replacing natural gas in an existing recovery gains momentum, the oil and
pipeline for the first time in the country. Importance of collaboration gas industry will continue – or even
Third is the need to scale CCS Collaboration is vital for hydrogen to accelerate – its diversification, with
technology. All major routes to reach its true potential. To progress to an ever-increasing focus on the most
successfully decarbonise gas rely on the the stage where societies and industry abundant element in the universe.
large-scale uptake of CCS. More than can enjoy the benefits of hydrogen
half of those we surveyed (55 per cent) at scale, governments and industry Download the DNV
said that the oil and gas industry could will need to make bold decisions and GL report Heading for
not decarbonise without greater uptake balance short- and long-term priorities Hydrogen at www.
of CCS. CCS struggles to gain traction to address the key enablers I mentioned dnvgl.com/oilgas/
because there is a cheaper option for above. In Norway, for example, DNV hydrogen/heading-
industry; emitting carbon into the GL supported the government with for-hydrogen.html
HEADING FOR
HYDROGEN
The oil and gas industry’s outlook for
hydrogen, from ambition to reality
SAFER, SMARTER, GREENER
22

16/07/2020 11:46
DNVGLHydrogenResearch.indd 3 16/07/2020 11:46
DNVGLHydrogenResearch.indd 3