A European study has mapped optimal routes for renewable hydrogen transportation across the EU, revealing which delivery methods offer the best balance between cost and environmental impact. The research addresses a critical obstacle in Europe’s decarbonization plans: moving hydrogen efficiently over long distances at low cost.
The European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) conducted the analysis by integrating economic evaluation with life-cycle environmental impact assessment. Researchers modeled hydrogen generated using renewable electrolysis at Portuguese facilities and shipped to the Netherlands, covering roughly 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) to mirror realistic European import pathways. Five delivery pathways were examined: liquid hydrogen, compressed hydrogen, liquid organic hydrogen carriers, methanol, and ammonia.
The research findings show that some hydrogen delivery pathways are superior to others. Liquid hydrogen transported by vessel and compressed hydrogen moved through pipeline networks were the better options as they involve simpler processing and have lower overall energy requirements compared to alternatives. Chemical carriers including liquid organic hydrogen carriers, methanol and ammonia, on the other hand, performed notably worse despite being simpler to manage using current infrastructure.
The study found that transforming hydrogen into these chemical carriers and later extracting it substantially raises energy use, expenses, and increases emissions. These transformation stages also require more extensive renewable electricity installations, making their impact on the environment even higher. In short, the extra processing required for chemical carriers undermines the climate advantages that renewable hydrogen is supposed to provide.
Distance calculations were particularly helpful in selecting the optimal delivery method. For extremely long routes nearing 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles), liquid hydrogen was the most economically viable because of its concentrated energy content. Compressed hydrogen loses its appeal over such long distances due to mounting fuel needs and requirements for enhanced pipeline infrastructure or extra transport vessels.
The European Union has set an objective to generate 10 million tons of green hydrogen within the bloc and bring in another 10 million tons through imports by 2030. Renewable hydrogen is expected to eliminate emissions from sectors that have proved challenging to electrify such as heavy industry, long-distance transport, and shipping. The research reinforces renewable hydrogen’s strategic value for Europe’s comprehensive energy transformation.
As energy consumption increases and fossil fuels get pushed out of the EU’s energy mix, renewable hydrogen provides options to retain surplus renewable electricity and eliminate emissions from industrial operations that cannot use direct electrification.
The JRC analysis equips policymakers and investors with substantial evidence to inform future choices by detailing the trade-offs between infrastructure development, emissions, and costs. The study also emphasizes opportunities for converting current natural gas pipeline networks into compressed renewable hydrogen pathways and stresses the necessity for ongoing technological advancement across all hydrogen technologies.
While renewable hydrogen offers an avenue to transition energy systems, other forms of energy such as solar energy generated by equipment from firms like Turbo Energy S.A. (NASDAQ: TURB) often don’t require to be transported over long distances since they can easily be generated close to the end-users. These options need to be given priority status in energy mixes.
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