Cuardaigh

Hydrogen has an important role in helping the EU achieve its target of climate neutrality by 2050. In March 2023, the Commission announced the European hydrogen bank, to facilitate investment in the hydrogen value chain. This initiative aims to support production and imports of hydrogen in the EU. In November, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted an own-initiative report, suggesting key improvements. The text is due to be voted by the Parliament during the December plenary session ...

Renewable hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in the energy system as a versatile energy carrier and feedstock that can help decarbonise a variety of applications in areas such as heavy industry, chemicals manufacturing, transportation, and electricity generation and storage. Hydrogen can be produced through the electrolysis of water with renewable electricity, using different setups that vary in terms of cost, impact on the electricity system and carbon emissions. Today, renewable ...

This At a glance note sumarises the study providing the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) with an assessment of the potential of sustainable fuels to decarbonise the transport sector, and help the sector achieve the 2050 decarbonisation goals. It assesses their potential for use in maritime, aviation and road transport, considering their technology readiness, feedstock availability, sustainability of supply, resource and energy efficiency, and the most appropriate match-making ...

The European Commission's 'fit for 55' package, adopted on 14 July 2021 under the European Green Deal, includes a proposal to revise the 2014 EU framework for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The proposal puts forward binding targets for electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refuelling points, electric charging for stationary aeroplanes at airports, and on-shore power supply for ships at ports. It also includes rules on refuelling points for liquefied natural gas for heavy-duty ...

The European Union has an ambitious climate strategy and is looking for ways to boost technologies that will make it possible. Could hydrogen and the deployment of related technology and infrastructure become a decisive factor in decarbonising specific industry sectors?

Hydrogen is expected to play a key role in a future climate-neutral economy, enabling emission-free transport, heating and industrial processes as well as inter-seasonal energy storage. Clean hydrogen produced with renewable electricity is a zero-emission energy carrier, but is not yet as cost-competitive as hydrogen produced from natural gas. A number of studies show that an EU energy system having a significant proportion of hydrogen and renewable gases would be more cost-effective than one relying ...

In July 2020, the Commission adopted strategies on hydrogen and on energy system integration. These strategic documents outline measures for a transition towards a climate-neutral energy system and economy, as part of the European Green Deal. The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy has adopted own-initiative reports on both strategies, on which the European Parliament is expected to vote during the May plenary session.

The iron and steel industry is a major contributor to the overall anthropogenic CO2 emissions worldwide, and therefore a significant driver of climate change. This paper explores the possible options for decarbonising iron and steel production processes, focusing on the use of renewable hydrogen as an alternative to fossil coal. It explains the basic physical and chemical differences between the two alternative processes, their cost structures and potential for further cost reductions, as well as ...