Hydrogen investment

The European Union, China, the United States, Japan and many other countries are betting on hydrogen as an alternative to hydrocarbons. The total cost of all projects being implemented in the field of hydrogen energy has already reached $ 90 billion.

The EU's planned investment in the hydrogen business is up to 470 billion euros in the next 30 years. At the same time, the high cost of production, lack of clean water and underdeveloped delivery systems significantly complicate the development of this direction.

Some of the problems can be solved by electrolysis of water: under the influence of an electricity, distilled water decomposes into oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen obtained in this way is subdivided into "yellow" and "green": for the production of the first, nuclear energy is used, the second - renewable energy sources. Thus, many countries recognize only the "green" subspecies as truly environmentally friendly hydrogen.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) Research Center estimates all hydrogen energy projects currently under way at over $ 90 billion. The Institute of Energy Sector Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), in turn, counted dozens of renewable energy-based electrolysis plants under construction with a total capacity of 50 GW and a cost of $ 75 billion.

The main initiators of the abandonment of fossil energy sources and the transition to hydrogen are the G7 countries, which agreed to completely get rid of fossil fuels by the end of the century. The European Union is even more optimistic: in 2019, The European Green Deal was adopted, according to which the EU must achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate fossil energy sources by 2050. Hydrogen should play a special role in its implementation.

In July 2020, the European Commission presented the “Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate Neutral Europe”. It provides for concrete steps to develop hydrogen energy. The priority area will be precisely "green" hydrogen.