The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report highlights hydrogen's potential as a decarbonization solution in specific sectors, particularly those with limited alternatives such as heavy-duty transport and heavy industry. To fulfill this role, the production of hydrogen will need to rely on zero- or low-carbon energy sources, such as renewables, biomass with carbon capture, or fossil gas with carbon capture (IPCC AR6 WGIII, April 2022, Chapter 11, Section 11.3.5). The report notes that significant infrastructure changes and technological advancements are necessary for hydrogen to become a viable large-scale energy solution (IPCC AR6 WGIII, April 2022, Chapter 6, Section 6.6.2.4) and that all pathways required for limiting warming to 2°C or 1.5°C entail increased electricity generation from renewable or low-carbon sources (IPCC AR6 WGIII, April 2022, Technical Summary, Section 4.2). It further explains that direct electrification is generally more efficient and should be prioritized as a decarbonization solution where feasible (IPCC AR6 WGIII, April 2022, Technical Summary).
A +2 score, indicating strong alignment with the IPCC’s science-based guidance on the role of hydrogen in 1.5°C pathways, is achieved by strong support for policies, infrastructure, or investments in green (renewable) hydrogen or blue (fossil gas + carbon capture) hydrogen for use in hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industry or heavy transport (e.g., shipping/heavy-duty road transport). Similarly, +2 scores are also applied to advocacy focused on accelerating the use of hydrogen for renewable energy storage. Advocacy related to blue hydrogen should acknowledge strict conditions on the use/implementation of carbon capture and storage. Statements receiving the highest score on green hydrogen should also highlight the need for additional renewable capacity to support the added energy demand.
A +1 score, indicating partial alignment with the IPCC’s science-based guidance on the role of hydrogen in 1.5°C pathways, is achieved by statements generally supporting hydrogen for renewable energy storage, as well as broad statements supporting green or blue hydrogen use in hard-to-abate industries and transport sectors. Advocacy related to blue hydrogen should acknowledge conditions on the use/implementation of carbon capture and storage, as well as the broader need to transition to a zero-emissions energy mix.
A 0 score, indicating neutral alignment with the IPCC’s science-based guidance on the role of hydrogen in 1.5°C pathways, is achieved by generally supporting hydrogen without clearly specifying the need to take action on decarbonizing its production. A 0 is also applied to statements supporting the development of green or blue hydrogen without stating a specific intended sector for its use or acknowledging the need to increase renewable energy and reduce fossil fuel use in the energy mix.
A -1 score, indicating misalignment with the IPCC’s science-based guidance on the role of hydrogen in 1.5°C pathways, is achieved by supporting hydrogen produced from fossil fuels without clear guidance on decarbonizing its production. A -1 score is also applied to statements appearing to use hydrogen to justify continued support for fossil fuel infrastructure and use or to statements supporting hydrogen's use in sectors where other decarbonization options (e.g., electrification) are preferable, such as power generation, domestic heating, or light-duty transport.
A -2 score, indicating strong misalignment with the IPCC’s science-based guidance on the role of hydrogen in 1.5°C pathways, is achieved by opposing policies, infrastructure, and investments to support green hydrogen use in hard-to-abate industries and transport sectors or for renewable energy storage. -2 will also be applied to statements advocating in favor of policies, infrastructure, or investments that would support hydrogen produced from unabated fossil fuels or to statements promoting new fossil fuel infrastructure based on the premise of future hydrogen applications without clear conditions related to carbon capture. Similarly, statements that support hydrogen as a rationale for expanding new (or prolonging existing) fossil fuel investments, exploration, or supply infrastructure (e.g., natural gas pipelines, LNG terminals) without a clear and enforceable commitment to transitioning these investments to low-carbon alternatives in line with 1.5°C pathways also receive -2.
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A summary of our recommendations is below: 1. The limitations of the standard as a methodology for calculating lifecycle emissions, but not a definition of what counts as clean hydrogen, must be transparently communicated. 2. Examples should be given of the differences between consequential and attributional approaches, alongside guidance for when to use each. 3. Methane leakage must be reported with more accuracy and granularity and not rely on underreported national averages. 4. A robust and uniform process is essential for verifying the full climate impacts of fossil-based production pathways. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) must be monitored to verify actual capture rates and to ensure the permanence of sequestration. 5. Electricity accounting must credibly account for induced grid emissions due to hydrogen production. If claiming lower-than-grid-emissions or zero emissions for electricity inputs, then credible proof must be demonstrated in three areas: a. Incrementality b. Hourly matching c. Deliverability 6. Due to the warming impacts of hydrogen itself, hydrogen emissions must be addressed in the standard. Once accurate measurement equipment is commercially available, hydrogen’s warming impact must be included in the lifecycle assessment. 7. Lifecycle assessments should be reported on both 100-year and 20-year timescales due to the potency of some short-lived climate pollutants, like methane. 8. Data sources should be consistent where possible. 9. Stakeholder input should be improved, for example by making published documents available to civil society stakeholders working on these issues free of charge
Created - 17/07/2024
Last Edited - 17/07/2024
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Supporting hydrogen produced from renewable energy for use in heavy industry (Panasonic corporate website, feature story, Panasonic Group GX Strategy: R&D Initiatives Toward a Decarbonized Society, Mar 2024)
In this era of decarbonization, green hydrogen production technology is attracting attention as a new source of clean energy. It is known as “green” hydrogen because the production process—water electrolysis powered by electricity derived from renewable energy sources—is free of CO2. Green hydrogen is expected to be utilized for a variety of applications, including oil refineries and industrial ammonia and methanol production. Today, the hydrogen being used in these industries is produced using fossil fuels.
Created - 29/07/2024
Last Edited - 09/08/2024
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Generally supporting the development of hydrogen without stating a specific intended sector for its use nor stating the need to decarbonize its production (Hydrogen Council, Press Release, August 2023)
A truly global hydrogen economy will play a key role in supporting sustainable economic growth in emerging markets and transition economies and facilitating supply diversification for importing regions while accelerating decarbonisation.
Created - 27/02/2024
Last Edited - 27/02/2024
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Supporting hydrogen blending with fossil gas without specifying clear timelines or stating the need to fully decarbonize (Blog, February 2024)
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recently soft launched an upcoming report on naturally occurring hydrogen, also known as gold hydrogen. The potential implications of the report for America’s energy system and the future of decarbonization are tremendous. [...] Much of that hydrogen is probably is not easily accessible or financially viable with our current technologies, but even if a small percentage—2%–was accessible, that would mean that we would “only” have enough for the next thousand years – pretty remarkable. And there is no doubt that clean hydrogen from other sources could help stretch this supply out as necessary. [...] New and different techniques will likely be required to profitably extract gold hydrogen. That is unlikely to be an insurmountable obstacle. Twenty years ago, conventional wisdom was that extracting natural gas from shale formations was impossible. American ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit found a way to make it possible, turning the United States into the world’s largest producer of natural gas and oil. There is every reason to hope that the same will hold true for gold hydrogen. With the Midwest and the Great Plains estimated to be some of the most promising locales for gold hydrogen, we may soon see the economy of much of the country boosted by a new source of reliable energy. The ability to blend hydrogen into the fuel mix for existing infrastructure, with greater amounts possible as infrastructure is upgraded, promises to keep the natural gas system as one of the foremost tools available for decarbonization.
Created - 04/03/2024
Last Edited - 04/03/2024
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Appearing to support hydrogen use in domestic heating; opposing policy that focus on heat pumps and do not include gas, opposing the removal of gas infrastructure, stating it should be converted to hydrogen. Supporting the use of hydrogen in domestic use in the 'medium term' and supporting hydrogen blending with fossil gas in the short term; supporting hydrogen for energy storage. (Hydrogen Europe CEO, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Op-Ed, Focus Online, May 2023)
The heating walls planned by Habeck’s former State Secretary Graichen using only heat pumps is a lesson in the sacrifices that can be made when openness to technology is irrelevant: Viessmann had to sell shares in the heat pump business because, for better or for worse, it was necessary to switch to this one technology. The federal government, in the person of Mr. Graichen, threatened Asian companies if German companies were not able to manufacture and install heat pumps in sufficient quantities. Technological openness, on the other hand, opens the market for different players. In addition, “both and” makes it possible to use existing infrastructure or systems.When heating with hydrogen: Gas lines in Germany can easily transport hydrogen. A lack of capacity for green electricity or the necessary skilled workers are other reasons why openness to technology is important in the heat transition. Because different solutions require different skills, which for the most part also exist. So more shoulders carry the heat turn easier and faster. Hydrogen acts as an electricity storage device. Excess energy, for example from wind and sun generation, can be stored and transported in this way. [...] First of all, the factual focus on heat pumps should be removed from the heating law. Heat pumps, which work extremely efficiently, were installed in many new buildings even before the Heating Act came into force. But there is a difference between building a new house and having to refurbish an existing building to install a heat pump. Funding for the expansion of the district heating network must also be pushed more, because such a network can be operated in the medium or long term with the help of green hydrogen. In addition, the government should promote the insulation of buildings more. As a result, less heat escapes outside. The heating can be turned down. It is also extremely important to refrain from dismantling the gas networks. These can easily be converted into hydrogen networks. [...] Heating will look different in the future: fossil fuels such as natural gas will be replaced. In the medium term, hydrogen will be an alternative, which will be used in the municipal utility distributors. Municipal utilities will obtain hydrogen via long-distance networks or produce it themselves - among other things by obtaining it from waste using pyrolysis. The hydrogen distributed by the public utility company can then be used in heaters that burn this hydrogen in a boiler without producing any emissions. In the short term, heating systems with fuel cells can be installed in commercial and private households. These stationary heating solutions work with both gas and pure hydrogen [...] The federal government should also treat hydrogen with more benevolence. The two-class society "renewable electricity is always good, renewable hydrogen half as good" will not work. From a technological point of view, hydrogen applications in the heating sector are already ready for the market - both as boilers and via stationary fuel cells.
Created - 05/06/2023
Last Edited - 05/06/2023
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Strongly supporting specific measures toward clean hydrogen production: supporting strict standards in the International Organization for Standardization's development of standards for hydrogen production. Generally supporting the use of additionality, regionality, and hourly time matching along with strict accounting of upstream and induced emissions associated with hydrogen production (Hy Stor, joint letter to the International Organization for Standardization, May 2024)