Energy transition through green hydrogen? Getting away from natural gas has long been one of Germany’s goals. Until now, the reason for this was the climate. Now there is also the fact that Germany wants to become less dependent on Russia. Now the question is whether hydrogen is really a conceivable alternative for heating.
Natural gas covers almost a quarter of primary energy. Thus, it plays a very important role in energy supply. In addition, it is also used for electricity generation, as a fuel for transport and as a basic material for industry. Germany also owes its hot water and heat to the fuel. At the latest with the attack on Ukraine by Russia, it is clear that Germany urgently needs to become independent in this area. Alternatives for supplying heat to the German population are already available. In the best case, these can also accelerate the climate change in Germany.
The result of the study by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries says that renewable energies in heating systems could possibly achieve the climate targets by 2030 in the building sector. That would be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of around 68 percent compared to 1990.
A hope for Germany’s heat supply
BDEW strongly emphasised that a massive expansion of renewable energies is necessary. In addition, a rapid ramp-up of water. Kerstin Andreae said that hydrogen can become a major part of a climate-neutral heat supply. Kerstin Andreae is chairing the presentation of the short study by the BDEW. So far, only green hydrogen is considered truly climate-friendly. In its production, it relies only on renewable electricity. Hydrogen can already be added to the current gas grid in certain quantities. Up to ten percent is the current limit. Higher percentages are quite conceivable in the near future. Just like natural gas, the additional hydrogen can be burnt. This produces water vapour. With the help of fuel cells, this water vapour can be used to generate additional electricity and heat.
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However, the use of hydrogen is controversial
The extent to which hydrogen should be used is still controversial. Not all experts see hydrogen as a clear component of the heat supply. Many experts believe that there are already other more efficient alternatives in the building heat sector. The Copernicus project Ariadne is one of them. A policy brief was written on the topic. Six research institutes were involved in the policy brief.
The association “Scientists for Future” also believes that hydrogen is impractical for heating buildings. The scientific studies on hydrogen are clear. Hydrogen is too scarce, too inefficient and too expensive. It could not be used to provide heat. This is stated in the analysis of March 2022.
Is hydrogen really suitable for heating?
Project developers also take a critical view of hydrogen as a means of heating. A prominent example is the town hall, which is located in the Stühlinger district of Freiburg. It was completed in 2017 and is the world’s first net-plus energy building that is public. “Even though green hydrogen is seen as a beacon of hope, there is still a long way to go for widespread use. Due to the very high price level, the use cases also need to be well considered,” said Leonardo Estrada. He is a team leader at Drees & Sommer and an expert on green hydrogen strategies. Although the costs for green hydrogen should decrease by 2050, it is still not optimally suited as an energy carrier for heating, said Estrada.
Technical challenge
The hydrogen leaks would have to be technically brought under control. At the moment, these can hardly be avoided. A study shows that hydrogen can cause a warming effect. The study claims that the global warming potential of hydrogen is twice as high as assumed. Nevertheless, the hydrogen in the atmosphere is not as bad as the effect of the saved CO₂ would be.
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