Hydrogen ambitions

Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs) are currently responsible for 27 percent of CO2 emissions from road transport in the EU. Since 1990, these emissions have increased by 25 percent and future trends show that without political action and the application of clean technologies, the share of CO2 emissions from HDVs in road transport will increase to 32 percent in 2030. 

Reducing emissions from heavy-duty transport is a priority for the EU. In its long-term strategy - A Clean Planet for All - the European Commission calls for the decarbonisation of the transport sector, and it has passed legislation for emission reductions from HDVs as well as proposed new legislation on the promotion of alternative fuels infrastructure. To decarbonize Europe, the EU hydrogen strategy explores the potential for renewable hydrogen to help decarbonize Europe in a cost-effective way. The strategy expresses the importance of investing in hydrogen to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050.

EU regulation 2019/1242 obliges the Member States to reduce CO₂ emissions from HDVs with 15 percent from 2025 and 30 percent from 2030, compared to 1990. From 2025, all newly produced HDVs must comply with the CO₂ emission targets. As noted above, the target for the transport sector is a GHG emissions decrease by 13 percent, outlined in the proposed amendment to the Renewable Energy Directive.

All four countries in the STRING megaregion, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, have set both national and regional decarbonisation targets, which must be met without compromising the megaregion’s trade and growth levels. To achieve their goals, it is vital to initiate concrete, collaborative, and innovative projects that ensure the reduction of CO₂ emissions from HDVs, and create a robust foundation for the sustainable future, in compliance with EU regulations and the emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050.

GREATER4H contributes to the European goals for introducing hydrogen as fuel for heavy road transports  in several ways, and at different levels. The project contributes to the objectives set at European level by:

• Speeding up the roll-out of zero emission infrastructure as requested in the Renewable Energy Directive and the proposed Alternative Fuels Regulation;
• Decarbonising the transport sector as detailed in the Smart Mobility Strategy; 
• Aligning member countries in alternative fuels networks as required in the TEN-T regulation;
• Adding to publicly available infrastructure as required in the Alternative Fuels Regulation and related national action plans, and;
• Decreasing dependence on imported fuels as defined in the European Deal and manifested in the Fit for 55 package.

SOURCE:

Carbon dioxide emissions from Europe's heavy-duty vehicles — European Environment Agency (europa.eu) (EEA)

Sustainable Mobility: Renewable Hydrogen in the Transport Sector | Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

^[2] City of Oslo. (n.d.). Climate Strategy for Oslo towards 2030. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.klimaoslo.no/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2020/09/Klimastrategi2030-Kortversjon-ENG_2608_enkeltside.pdf

^[3]European Commission. (2019). A Clean Planet for all A European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52018DC0773&from=EN
^[4] The European Parliament, & The Council of the European Union. (2019). REGULATION (EU) 2019/1242 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 June 2019 setting CO2 emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles and amending Regulations (EC) No 595/2009 and (EU) 2018/956 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 96/53/EC. Official Journal of the European Union. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019R1242&from=EN

^[5] European Commission. (n.d.). REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/revision_of_the_directive_on_deployment_of_the_alternative_fuels_infrastructure_with_annex_0.pdf

^[6] European Commission. (n.d.). Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021PC0557

Hydrogen is expected to play a central role in an EU that is to be decarbonised by 2050. While hydrogen today accounts for only 2 per cent of energy use globally, this is expected to grow to close to 24 per cent of the global energy supply by 2050.

To reduce hard to abate emissions from heavy transport, e.g. heavy-duty trucks and long-distance buses, the European Commission emphasizes hydrogen as the preferred technology. This is outlined in the EU Hydrogen Strategy from 2020, where the key actions are to set an investment agenda in the EU and to boost demand for and scaling up production of hydrogen. The EU Commission's objective is that the hydrogen economy should contribute to new growth in Europe, while at the same time making a decisive contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Hydrogen Strategy was issued by the EU in 2020, to set the path for how hydrogen can be used to achieve the European Green Deal and Europe`s clean energy transition. Renewable electricity is expected to decarbonise a large share of the EU energy consumption by 2050, but not all of it. According to the EU, hydrogen technology is seen as a technology which can bridge the gap between electricity production from renewable energy and the goal of decarbonising a large share of the EU’s energy consumption by 2050. Hydrogen can work as a vector for renewable energy storage, alongside batteries, and transport, ensuring back up for seasonal variations and connecting production locations to more distant demand centres.  Source: the strategy

GREATER4H contributes to the European goals for introducing hydrogen as fuel for heavy road transports in several ways by:

• Speeding up the roll-out of zero emission infrastructure as requested in the Renewable Energy Directive and the proposed Alternative Fuels Regulation;
• Decarbonising the transport sector as detailed in the Smart Mobility Strategy;
• Aligning member countries in alternative fuels networks as required in the TEN-T regulation;
• Adding to publicly available infrastructure as required in the Alternative Fuels Regulation and related national action plans, and;
• Decreasing dependence on imported fuels as defined in the European Deal and manifested in the Fit for 55 package.

The Fit for 55 package provides the blueprint for how to implement the ambitious climate targets of the European Commission of 55 percent GHG emissions reduction by 2030, with a 13 percent reduction of GHG emissions from the transport sector by 2030 compared to 1990. In addition, the Commission has adopted a net zero target by 2050.

Compared to 1990, the transport sector has by 2018 increased its emissions by 36 percent. It is a sector with many different sources of emissions, while lacking a one-size fits all solution, which makes it difficult to effectively mitigate emissions.

The European Commission has expressed a keen interest for sustainable infrastructure development across Europe with a strong focus on electrification and deployment of hydrogen infrastructure. The lack of a hydrogen infrastructure and the current uncertainty regarding the roll-out of HRSs on critical stretches inhibit companies’ willingness to invest in hydrogen vehicles, and as such inhibit the possible decarbonisation effects to set in. GREATER4H, together with other parallel projects, ensures that the European hydrogen infrastructure will be completed, which is a necessary condition for decarbonising the European transport sector.

Lack of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure (HRS) is considered a bottleneck, and the Alternative Fuels Directive ensures detailed regulation for the roll-out of HRSs. The proposed alternative fuels infrastructure regulation suggest that HRS at 700 bar be established every 150 km and requires them to provide green hydrogen.

GREATER4H will make the STRING megaregion a European model region for the application of hydrogen mobility and increase innovation potential through knowledge-sharing, best practice, and lessons learned. The project will indirectly support job creation and provide opportunity for both business activities and investments within the hydrogen ecosystem, and more specifically to the hydrogen-fuelled heavy transport sector, and will as such contribute directly to the development of the European hydrogen economy.

National targets – could this be made within a box so that the user have to click on “nationa targets” for the text to show?

In addition to the EUs climate targets for the transport sector, and public entities in the STRING megaregion decarbonisation targets, all countries in the region are prioritising hydrogen - and especially for hard to abate emissions from heavy transport and the maritime sector.

Sweden has a goal of net zero emissions by 2045, and of reducing 70 percent of GHG emissions in the domestic transport sector by 2030 (compared to 2010, excl. domestic aviation). In addition, the Swedish Energy Agency has tabled a proposal for a strategy on hydrogen and e-fuels.

Denmark has an overall goal of reducing GHG emissions by 70 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 and being climate-neutral by 2050. Furthermore, Denmark is currently debating incentives for low emission trucks.

In June 2020, Germany published its hydrogen strategy, which includes several measures related to the transport sector, including the establishment of a 5 GW additional generation capacity. Norway has introduced its target of a national reduction of 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990.

These initiatives are accompanied by several local and regional authorities’ climate targets for the transport sector. One example is the State Government of Land Schleswig-Holstein, which has adopted a hydrogen strategy. Another is the City of Oslo, which has set an overall GHG emission reduction target of 95 percent by 2030 compared to 2009 and pledged that all heavy vehicles will be either zero-emission or using alternative fuels by 2030.

1. Transport target compared to 2010 levels, and excl. domestic aviation. Ministry of the Environment Sweden. (n.d.) Sweden’s climate policy framework. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.government.se/articles/2021/03/swedens-climate-policy-framework/

2. Energimyndigheten. (n.d.). Remissvar och uppdrag. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.energimyndigheten.se/remissvar-och-uppdrag/

3. Ministry for Climate Energy and Utilities. (n.d.). Climate Programme 2020 - Denmark’s Mid-century, Long-term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from

   https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/ClimateProgramme2020-Denmarks-LTS-under-the%20ParisAgreement_December2020_.pdf

4. Finansministeriet. (2020, december 4). Grøn vejtransportaftale: Massiv CO2-reduktion og ambition om 1 mio. grønne biler i 2030. https://fm.dk/nyheder/nyhedsarkiv/2020/december/groen-vejtransportaftale-massiv-co2-reduktion-og-ambition-om-1-mio-groenne-biler-i-2030/

5. Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz. (2020). The National Hydrogen Strategy. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/EN/Publikationen/Energie/the-national-hydrogen-strategy.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=6

6. Mission of Norway to the EU. (n.d.). Climate change and the environment - Norway and the EU. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.norway.no/en/missions/eu/values-priorities/climate-env/

Although hydrogen is an invisible gas, we use three colors when we talk about hydrogen production.

Grey hydrogen: Grey hydrogen is formed from burning the fossil fuels coal, oil and natural gas. The process does not capture the greenhouse gases created in the process and produces large emissions.

Blue hydrogen: Blue hydrogen is produced in steam reforming (chemical reaction between hydrocarbons and fossil fuels) of coal, oil and natural gas. The process produces hydrogen, but also carbon dioxide. Blue hydrogen can be described as "low carbon hydrogen", but the formation of greenhouse gases is not avoided and it is necessary to capture and store these gases in carbon capture facilities.

Green hydrogen: This is produced through electrolysis (electrochemical reaction to split water into components of hydrogen and oxygen) of renewable energy sources, such as sun, water or wind power. This is a zero-emissions alternative to gray hydrogen and we do not need carbon capture or storage as blue carbon requires.

While the European Commission points to green hydrogen as its top priority, they nevertheless recognize that blue hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture will play an important role in the short and medium term in building up a well-functioning hydrogen market in Europe. In the longer term, it is envisaged that hydrogen will be produced with renewable energy. The EU reports that it will primarily support the development of clean hydrogen, produced primarily from renewable sources.

Blue hydrogen will build a market, green will ensure long-term decarbonisation. The EU assumes that 80 percent of today's natural gas will be replaced with hydrogen by 2050.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and has proven not only to hold a great potential to help us decarbonize the global economy, reach our climate goals, improve the reliability and resilience of our energy system, but also implementing new and sustainable business models.

Hydrogen is a clean fuel that emits zero CO₂ with water vapor as the only byproduct. Hydrogen can be extracted from a variety of domestic resources, making it an attractive fuel option for transport and electricity generation applications such as cars and portable power solutions.

Heavy-duty transport is considered by many to be an area where hydrogen and fuel cells will be particularly important in making the transport sector emission-free. The reason is that heavier trucks require so much energy that batteries become too heavy and require a large amount of space. The hydrogen trucks can also provide a similar operation to the diesel trucks, with a long range and short filling time.

Unlike electricity, hydrogen can be stored as either a gas or a liquid and can be saved in large amounts for extended periods while retrieved as a back-up energy supply when needed. This makes it possible to generate energy even when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow. Hydrogen produced on an industrial scale could therefore play an essential role in the energy transition towards fighting emission.

In the European Union, 25% of all emissions are generated by transport, which makes the sector the second largest polluter of greenhouse gasses (GHG), and it is the only sector where emission seem to be increasing.

Hydrogen has a key role to play in zero-emission logistics considering long distance transportation. Vehicles that need a lot of power, such as busses, large trucks or planes, hydrogen is beneficial due to its light weight, which makes transportation a lot more energy efficient. Hydrogen also holds the advantages of faster refueling times, longer travel range and requires little space for refueling infrastructure.

Currently, one of the biggest challenges is to make the production of hydrogen cost efficient. In recent years, the price of hydrogen has fallen and is expected to lower even more over the next decade, making it truly competitive against other energy solutions.

For hydrogen to release its full potential, improvements of the infrastructure and transportation of hydrogen is needed to secure an efficient distribution locally and cross border.

The GREATER4H hydrogen corridor is currently implementing hydrogen refueling stations in the STRING megaregion. With the stations being located along the TENT-T ScanMed corridor with a maximum of 150 km apart, the aim is to activate the hydrogen infrastructure across the Northern region to reach the European and national emission reductions targets.