How does it work?

Hydrogen is an energy carrier in the same manner as electricity. It can be produced from renewables as well as from fossil sources by a number of production methods. Hydrogen can be stored and reconverted to electricity for stationary use or utilised as fuel in the transport sector. Utilising hydrogen as fuel in the transport sector is the main driver for introducing hydrogen as an energy carrier.

The main driver for introducing hydrogen as an energy carrier is to utilise it as fuel in the transport sector.

Hydrogen can be produced by utilising electricity generated from renewable sources such as hydro, wind or solar. In this case no emissions will result, neither from production nor use of hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen generated from renewables can therefore be termed “green hydrogen”. However, if fossil fuels are used as a production method, the generated hydrogen will only be regarded as emission free if carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) are included in the hydrogen production chain. Green hydrogen will be essential if sustainability is important for the future.

The main driver for introducing hydrogen as an energy carrier is to utilise it as fuel in the transport sector. If hydrogen is to be a viable option in this field, the hydrogen infrastructure and vehicles have to become cost competitive with conventional options such as diesel. The cost of hydrogen vehicles was found to have the biggest impact on cost-competitiveness, followed by fluctuations in the price of crude oil.