A new report from the UK-based Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers (IGEM) suggests that hydrogen has significant potential for reducing carbon emissions and supporting the deployment of renewable energy technologies.
The report – Hydrogen: untapped energy? – explores how hydrogen can be used as a carrier to store energy produced from a wide range of primary sources, and to power applications including electric vehicles, heating and power generation.
IGEM believes that the energy industry could draw upon the experience and expertise of the hydrogen feedstock industry and that new technical standards could be developed to support hydrogen’s use in the energy sector.
“To tackle carbon emissions, climate change and security of energy supply it is imperative that countries continue to invest in developing renewables, and technologies like hydrogen and fuel cell technology,” said Peter Hardy, IGEM’s technical services manager.
Energy companies are already investing in power-to-gas projects, where excess renewable energy is used to generate hydrogen, which could then be injected into the gas grid or stored for electricity generation at peak times.
However governments and policy makers need to do more to encourage and support the development of hydrogen technologies if they are to become a commercial reality, says IGEM.
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