Watt Matters Podcast - 24/February/2023

Hydrogen set to spread its wings

Green hydrogen's role in the energy transition is a given, but just how far and how fast the technology will spread remains up for debate

            


From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The branches of the burgeoning green hydrogen sector are spreading slowly around the world. This creates huge uncertainty but also significant opportunities for businesses and governments the world over to leverage a whole new industry.

The guest on this week’s podcast is Sara Edmonson from Australia-based developer Fortescue Future Industries—a company that solely focuses on green hydrogen and ammonia production.

Edmonson believes green hydrogen technology is ready to scale up, but issues around permitting of renewables and new other projects need to be sorted out. Meanwhile, the green hydrogen sector offers export opportunities for emerging markets that have significant renewables potential but not the grid infrastructure to support it.

Enjoy the show!


If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Sara Edmonson
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy


Listen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.


Show notes:
Green hydrogen organisation – good contracting principles

Solar outpaces IEA predictions
The issues with importing from North Africa
Fossil fuel subsidies continue to rise
Commission sets out rules for renewable hydrogen
Vestas’ blade circularity breakthrough

 

Try full access to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy for €1 a day
Join over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy.
GET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL

 

 

Share


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related articles

The lure of powering Europe from the Sahara Desert endures

North Africa has enough solar and wind energy to easily power the whole of Europe but plans to export renewables generation across the Mediterranean have so far floundered. The burgeoning clean hydrogen sector could change the picture

Read more

Danish PtX dreams begin with offshore wind

By the end of this decade, Denmark aims to be a net exporter of green energy and fuels, helping Europe meet its net zero ambitions while curbing the reliance on energy imports. It rests on a massive expansion in both renewable energy generation and electrolysers as well as hydrogen infrastructure

Read more

Shipping on a voyage to low-carbon fuel options

As with other hard-to-abate sectors, the shipping industry is facing many challenges to decarbonise sufficiently by 2050. Currently, the alternative fuel of choice for many is liquified natural gas (LNG) but the short-term gains negate the persistent long-term emissions. There are genuine low-carbon alternatives at hand if shipping can adjust its outlook

Read more

Chemicals’ complex route to green

Electrification of the energy-intensive chemicals sector is not always possible so finding alternative low-carbon processes is climbing the industry's agenda

Read more

The case for sourcing hydrogen from the Gulf

As European markets seek new sources of natural gas to meet winter demand, Gulf nations could instead play a role in supplying another clean energy carrier, says Frank Wouters from the MENA Hydrogen Alliance

Read more

Technology and incentives: How to reduce heavy-truck emissions quickly

The decarbonisation of truck traffic is on its way. Zero-emission trucks are ready to roll and megawatt-charging technology will satiate the resulting charging needs. Now regulatory bodies must do all in their power to speed up the transition, says Markus Mildner of Siemens eMobility

Read more

The strange case of small modular reactors

A small but bullish band of researchers are developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to provide firm low-carbon electricity in a decentralised, flexible power system. But time to make an impact on the energy transition is running out

Read more

Red to green: Where to cut the tape

Clean energy technology is becoming more efficient and powerful, while more money than ever is seemingly flowing into renewables. But administrative barriers thrown up by red tape and permitting bottlenecks threaten to put a damper on the energy transition

Read more

A new world order

As the energy landscape changes, so too could the geopolitical spectrum. Nations that have derived power and wealth from coal, oil and gas face an adapt-or-die moment while countries with the natural resources central to decarbonisation could find themselves holding more cards

Read more

Not a silver bullet

Carbon prices at sufficiently high levels can push firms to internalise the costs of greenhouse gas emissions while providing a long-term price signal to drive investments needed for decarbonisation. Emission trading systems and carbon taxes feature in a growing number of climate strategies, but even the most well-designed instruments must be accompanied by other policy measures if emissions reductions goals are to be reached

Read more

Convincing Big Oil to pay for the energy transition

Oil and gas companies are making a ton of cash by selling fossil fuels that are destroying our future. Could the industry instead be spending lavishly to make amends? It turns out things are not so simple

Read more

Behind the hydrogen hype

In this week's episode, the team is joined by Gniewomir Flis from Energy Revolution Ventures. We examine the hype that surrounds green hydrogen and what role, if any, it can have in the energy transition

Read more

Heavy industry plans to tread lightly

The heavy industry sector has made significant progress in increasing energy efficiency in recent years and further gains are possible with greater electrification, digitalisation and changes in production processes. Meanwhile, material efficiency measures reducing demand for products like steel and cement offer major potential for energy savings for customers

Read more

Hydrogen sector targets production boost

Energy losses in the production process contribute to making hydrogen produced with renewable energy expensive. Companies and researchers are working to improve the efficiency of electrolyser technology and scale it up, bringing down the green hydrogen price tag at the same time

Read more

Green hydrogen is vital in decarbonising the hard-to-abate sectors

Government support for Power-to-X projects and Denmark’s energy islands is essential in commercialising the technology, says Søren Rydbirk from Green Hydrogen Systems

Read more

Green hydrogen hurdles complicate Southeast Asia’s net-zero goals

With the hydrogen economy gaining momentum in Europe, the industry is also stimulating interest in other regions of the world where power systems are more reliant on fossil fuels. However, green hydrogen in Southeast Asia has different questions that need answering

Read more

A small molecule with big potential

Green hydrogen is expected to become a commercially viable energy carrier soon. The coming decade could see it become a vital part of the energy transition, says Frank Wouters from the MENA Hydrogen Alliance

Read more

The energy transition is at risk by hydrogen’s perceived simplicity

Low-carbon hydrogen will almost certainly be needed to cut emissions across a range of hard-to-abate sectors. However, if it is used to solve too many problems, it could end up delaying the energy transition and putting urgent decarbonisation plans in jeopardy

Read more

Heavy industry to carbon light

Cement and steel manufacturing are two of the most carbon intensive industries in the world. Electrification can play a role in decarbonising both, though technology innovation is expensive and removing all emissions from the processes is a tall order

Read more

Where to direct support for hydrogen without wasting money

As with any technology, the key to cost reduction is the rate at which the technology is deployed, but the hydrogen economy is moving forward slowly

Read more

The business case for hydrogen remains elusive

Questions around definitions, targets and the funding of green hydrogen in Europe still need answering

Read more

E-fuels the next big idea for aviation and trucking

Enthusiasm for e-fuels is growing, but it is still unclear where the renewable energy will come from to produce them

Read more

Shipping industry coasts towards decarbonised future

Efficiency measures have cut greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping industry, but if the sector is to be part of the climate solution, radical action to adopt new cleaner fuels is the only answer

Read more