For full decarbonisation, power-to-gas will be needed to address ‘harder to abate’ sectors, help balance networks and ensure security of supply, says European lobby group Eurelectric. It has called on Europe to be a leader in sustainable hydrogen and renewable power-to-gas. It said that hydrogen produced with renewable electricity was likely to play a key role at local level, in industrial processes, transport and other applications.
The group wants the European Commission to make an independent analysis of the cost and lifecycle emissions of power-to-gas options and to ensure a coordinated, cost-effective and future-proof approach to electricity and gas infrastructure requirements.
It says forward planning should take accunt of power-to-gas options, which would also require strong oversight by regulatory authorities to lower the risk of stranded assets.
It said it was important that decarbonised and renewable gases “should be supplied and traded on a level playing field with natural gas as part of the gas market. Possible barriers for entry (e.g. in the form of undue technical requirements) should be eliminated.” It added that power-to-gas technologies – once mature and commercially available – “are without any doubt contestable market activities” and they should not be taken on by regulated entities.
Read the full paper here
Further reading
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From New Power Report: energy issues in a switch to hydrogen gas
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