Reuters Events: Hydrogen Europe (December 2-3) gathers the value chain to realise the hydrogen economy. Covering policy & regulation, scaling-up production, infrastructure, and end-use sectors, attendees will leave with the critical information and partnerships they need for expansion in Europe.
By Louise Jacobsen Plutt, Senior Vice President, Hydrogen and CCUS at bp
At bp, we are all guided by our ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and there is a real buzz around the role that our hydrogen and CCUS business - which I began leading last year - can play. Whilst relatively nascent in their development, both technologies offer real promise for delivering clean energy provision and decarbonising heavy industry and mobility, among other sectors.
Although key barriers remain, the worldwide potential of hydrogen is vast. Some estimate an investment pipeline of $300 billion, with hydrogen possibly supplying 18% of global energy by 2050. The Gulf States are particularly well placed to capitalise as producers and exporters of clean hydrogen.
Energy professionals identify lack of investment in infrastructure as the joint-highest risk their organizations face in relation to hydrogen – and a significant majority (78%) say repurposing existing infrastructure will be crucial to developing a large-scale hydrogen economy.
India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, who has run one of the world’s largest petroleum businesses for over two decades, yesterday announced that his company Reliance Industries, will invest 750 billion rupees ($10 billion) towards clean energy solutions over the next three years.
South Asia, which includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, is slowly following the rest of the world in the transition towards cleaner energy systems. The subtle shift opens potentially large market opportunities for energy service suppliers.
A new A$2 billion ($1.54 billion) Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund will be established to expand on the previous A$500 million Renewable Energy Fund in the Australian state.
The Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, told the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) conference on Tuesday that the state’s market share in renewable hydrogen exports in 2030 should be similar to its share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports today.
Hydrogen is a trending topic in any discussion of the energy transition. Blue hydrogen (from methane) is viewed as a potential transition fuel as we move to a low carbon economy. The OGA strategy which came into force in February requires licensees to ensure that technologies are deployed to enable hydrogen supply projects to be developed. But what would hydrogen be used for and is there a market for it?
The energy sector is awash with the benefits of hydrogen for domestic heating. It’s the most common element in Universe, it burns to water, it can be swapped out for natural gas – it is a wonder fuel.
As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Canada is committed to reducing GHG emissions, recently announcing an intention to slash emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030. These ambitious targets are driving federal and provincial governments to promote hydrogen through a combination of new regulatory schemes and financial incentives that are larger in scale and wider in scope than any that we have seen before.