With a dense nationwide pipeline infrastructure for natural gas, situated at the heart of the European energy system and long-distance transmission network, the German gas system offers unique opportunities to figure out how the most economic conversion of the gas infrastructure to hydrogen could work. But how much effort would be required to repurpose existing infrastructures to accommodate hydrogen? Ideally, this is complemented by the gas system: A standard pipeline can transfer up to ten times as much energy as a 380-kilovolt twin overhead power line with a rating of 1.5 gigawatts, at about one fourteenth of specific cost. The electrical transmission system is an important backbone for the transportation of renewable energy across countries. However, by far the most economically viable method is via pipeline, where a very high energy transportation capacity can be achieved. Hydrogen can be transported as a gas in high-pressure containers, as a liquid in thermo-insulated containers, in processed form as methanol or ammonia, or in a chemical carrier medium. In this context, one often-cited advantage is that the natural gas infrastructure could be reused with minor modifications for transportation and storage of hydrogen. Linking up all elements of the energy system with hydrogen promises to deliver efficiencies, cut carbon emissions, and increase the robustness of energy systems while ensuring security of supply. Green hydrogen is becoming economically more viable due to the declining costs of renewable energy as well as of electrolyzers. And more recently, a white paper jointly produced by German pipeline operators Nowega and Gascade and Siemens Energy studied practical aspects of converting natural gas pipelines as pillars of a future hydrogen-based energy transition.īeside decarbonized hydrogen produced from natural gas, green hydrogen produced with an electrolyzer powered by sustainable electricity can be used for sector coupling (“Power-to-X”) and for the large-scale storage of renewable energy. The G20, Germany, and Japan have also indicated interest in developing this technology.
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The EU’s “Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe” of July 2020 is only the latest in a series of programs designed to foster the use of hydrogen to decarbonize and integrate the energy system.
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