IEA: Opportunities to Scale up Hydrogen for a Clean and Secure Energy Plan

The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier has provided momentum for its role in a clean and secure energy future. Like electricity, it can be produced by various renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and technology, and it can be stored and transported in a stable manner. As a request arising from the G20 presidency under Japan, the International Energy Agency (IEA) provided an assessment of where things stand currently on hydrogen, ways in which this energy carrier can help to achieve a clean, secure and affordable energy future, and what its potential may be.

Hydrogen is versatile, and able to produce, store, move and use energy in a variety of ways. Hydrogen can be produced from renewables, nuclear, natural gas, coal and oil, and is able to store energy for lengths of time, a plus for solar and wind power. While hydrogen is used mainly in oil refining and fertilizer production, there is growth for use in the transportation, building and power generation sectors. It can be transported as a gas via pipeline, or as a liquid on ships. Reducing emissions from existing hydrogen production using fossil fuels is a challenge but capturing to store or utilize the CO₂ from the process can be done. While there are several industrial facilities that use this process, and more are in the pipeline, many more are required to make a significant impact.

"Hydrogen is today enjoying unprecedented momentum, driven by governments that both import and export energy, as well as the renewables industry, electricity and gas utilities, automakers, oil and gas companies, major technology firms and big cities," stated Dr. Fatih Birol, IEA's Executive Director. "The world should not miss this unique chance to make hydrogen an important part of our clean and secure energy future."

The IEA report outlines seven key recommendations for government and stakeholders to scale up the use of hydrogen as well as four options to springboard on bringing costs and risks down. One option is encouraging industrial ports where the use of hydrogen-based fossil fuels are located, to shift to cleaner hydrogen production to drive down overall costs, and to also supply hydrogen for fueling ships, trucks and power generation for nearby industrial facilities. Building on existing infrastructure, such as natural gas pipelines is another option. By expanding hydrogen in transportation, fuel-cell vehicles can be more competitive. Launching international hydrogen shipping routes will initiate a positive impact on the global energy system.

An executive summary  or the full report can be found on IEA's website.