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Hydrogen: A false hope for the UK’s energy future?

20th November 2023

In the face of a climate crisis combined with energy security concerns, the UK is scrambling to transition away from the use of fossil fuels. Many eyes are currently on hydrogen, a versatile and energy-dense element, promising clean energy for transportation, power generation, and heating.

The Energy Act which recently received royal assent, made notable changes to the hydrogen sector including creating a Hydrogen Production Business Model and a Hydrogen Transport and Storage Business Model and introducing a new licensing regime for hydrogen pipeline projects. These changes are intended to accelerate the hydrogen economy in the UK, but is it the best answer to the challenges of the future energy market in the UK?

Hydrogen’s Hidden Costs

The production of hydrogen, particularly from renewable sources, is currently a costly and energy-intensive process. Producing 10GW of green hydrogen (via electrolysis) using renewable power would consume renewable electricity equivalent to around 50 per cent of the UK’s planned offshore wind capacity, according to a projection verified by experts.

Moreover, the production of blue hydrogen, which utilizes natural gas as a feedstock, generates substantial greenhouse gas emissions which must then be captured and stored, requiring further infrastructure to be put in place. The subsequent increase in consumption of natural gas is also non-sustainable as the UK currently imports more than half of its gas needs.

Professor John Irvine, Director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Research Institute at the University of Aberdeen, states: “The cost of producing green hydrogen from renewable electricity is currently prohibitive, making it an impractical and unsustainable solution for large-scale energy generation.”

Infrastructural Hurdles

The widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy source hinges on the development of a robust and extensive infrastructure. This includes a network of hydrogen production facilities, storage tanks, and distribution pipelines, which currently only exist in a limited capacity.

Establishing this infrastructure requires significant investments, both financially and in terms of land use. The construction of hydrogen production plants, storage facilities, and distribution networks could also impact local communities and raise concerns about environmental degradation.

Overall, the development of a hydrogen infrastructure would require massive investments and disrupt local communities, in turn raising concerns about environmental impacts and land use.

Safety Concerns

Hydrogen is a highly flammable gas, posing significant safety risks if not managed properly. Leaks from production facilities, storage tanks, or distribution pipelines could lead to catastrophic explosions, endangering lives and property.

The transportation of hydrogen also presents challenges. Due to its low density, hydrogen requires specialised containers or pressurisation, increasing transportation costs and safety risks. These concerns raise doubts about the feasibility of large-scale hydrogen transportation, particularly for long distances.

Hydrogen is also a very small atom, that will find leaks better than methane, so the likelihood of leaks may be significant.

So, is hydrogen the answer?

The pursuit of hydrogen as a clean energy solution for the UK is fraught with challenges that may dwarf its potential benefits. The high production costs, inefficient energy conversion, environmental impacts, and safety concerns may make hydrogen an impractical choice to depend upon for the UK’s energy future. The two main advantages are that it can be used for high-temperature applications and that it can be stored.

Instead of investing in a technology with such inherent limitations, it could be argued that the UK should instead focus its energy and resources on developing and expanding renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power and combine this with increased storage of energy ranging from batteries to pumped storage schemes. These sources offer a cleaner, more efficient, and safer alternative to hydrogen, with the potential to significantly reduce the UK’s carbon footprint.

For lower temperature applications such as space heating for homes, offices and retail, there is a strong preference for the use of heat pumps as one kWh of electricity can produce around 3.4 kWh of heat, whilst 1 kWh of electricity used to make hydrogen through electrolysis is likely to produce less than 0.8kWh of hydrogen and closer to 0.7kWh of heat.

While hydrogen may hold promise for niche applications, such as powering remote locations or providing backup energy storage, it should not be considered a miracle answer to the challenges of the UK’s future energy needs. The path to a sustainable energy future more likely lies in harnessing the power of both renewable sources and nuclear, not the pursuit of a technology that is currently fraught with challenges.

In addition, most organisations still have much they can do that is within their own control to reduce their carbon footprint without awaiting the answer to be presented to them in the form of a new technology.

To find out how the experts at Inenco can help you develop and implement your net zero transition plan, contact us on 08451 46 36 26.

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