BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec.10
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Europe will definitely need blue hydrogen to deliver the 2030 targets as it is cost effective in reducing large parts of the energy system, which will need hydrogen solution but can’t electrify, Steinar Eikaas, Equinor’s Vice President for Low Carbon Solutions, said, Trend reports citing Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
“Green hydrogen consumes renewable electricity which is a problem as long as we don’t have surplus renewable electricity. So, there is a need to build huge amounts of renewable electricity generation alongside green hydrogen. Looking at the alternative of blue hydrogen, it builds on natural gas and we already have this technology in place and the network to carry this volume is in place, for example through pipelines for natural gas,” said Steinar Eikaas.
Currently, the cost of producing blue hydrogen is 50-100% above natural gas production, however the resultant fuel is completely CO2 free. The cost of green hydrogen, meanwhile, is 2-5 times above blue hydrogen.
Energy experts believe that hydrogen is the next frontier as it can fill the same purpose as, for example, natural gas, and decarbonise many of the same sectors fuelled traditionally by hydrocarbons.
“When it comes to the type of hydrogen, blue hydrogen has advantages simply because the infrastructure already exists and the oil and gas industry has the investment muscle,” explained Eikaas.
Giving a European example, the speaker said that the EU’s new hydrogen strategy, announced in July 2020, set very aggressive target of 40 gigwatts of green hydrogen by 2030 but left another 40 gigwatts for imports, thereby leaving the opportunity for blue hydrogen to fill in the gap.
“Europe will definitely need blue hydrogen to deliver the 2030 targets as it is cost effective in reducing large parts of the energy system, which will need hydrogen solution but can’t electrify,” noted Eikaas, while giving examples of low-carbon projects that Equinor is undertaking in various countries in Europe. The Norwegian company is also part of the consortium, NortH2, building Europe’s biggest green hydrogen project by 2024.
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