SOLAR AND CLEAN FUELS GREEN HYDROGEN
BOLD STEPS NEEDED TO ENSURE GREEN HYDROGEN FULFILS ITS TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL Green hydrogen promises to revolutionise various sectors by offering a truly clean energy made with ubiquitous materials. Here, Frank Wouters , Chairman, MENA Hydrogen Alliance and Director, Mediterranean Green Electrons and Molecules Network (MED-GEM), underscores the systemic importance of hydrogen, and champions the establishment of a strategic hydrogen reserve, which could accelerate market development, stabilise supply-demand dynamics, and bolster energy security.
By Frank Wouters, # $-( )Β 4 -*" ) ''$ ) ) $- /*-Β $/ -- ) )- ) ' /-*). ) *' 0' . /2*-&ρΧς
How do you view the role of green hydrogen in revolutionising the energy sector, and what key challenges must be addressed to achieve commercial viability? Our energy system primarily runs on molecules. Molecules are easy to transport and store, but the issue with molecules currently is that if we burn them, they produce harmful greenhouse gases. Our analysis shows that even in a future energy system without harmful emissions, molecules are required to guarantee a functional, affordable, reliable and secure energy system. So, we must clean up those molecules and hydrogen is one of the few feasible options to replace hydrocarbons.
Contrary to what some people think, hydrogen is therefore systemically important and not a nice to have. Policy support has been identified as critical for green hydrogen development. What specific policy changes do you believe could accelerate the transition to a hydrogen economy? There are several issues that require policy support. First and foremost, we need to find a way to tackle and reduce the cost gap with alternatives. Several pathways in terms of sticks, for example quota, and carrots, such as subsidies, are currently being debated and implemented worldwide. Probably we
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THE FUTURE OF ENERGY
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