Hydrogen will be vital in an efficient transformation of the European energy system. Wind and solar power generation are variable, increasing the need for flexibility from both generators and consumers. Hydrogen offers both: In periods with a surplus of wind and solar power, the energy can be used to produce hydrogen, and in periods with a production shortage, hydrogen can be used to produce power. Furthermore, hydrogen can contribute to reducing emissions from both the transport sector and industrial processes. Hydrogen produced from renewable sources (green hydrogen) or hydrogen produced from natural gas combined with CCS (blue hydrogen) is important to reduce emissions from sectors where electrification is not applicable, such as heavy-duty road transport, maritime transport and certain industrial processes. Thus, hydrogen has the potential of becoming a key energy carrier towards the zero-emission society.
Enabling conditions
Despite hydrogen’s enormous potential, there remains much to be done before the technology can be deployed on a large scale. The transition to a hydrogen energy system would require among other things further technological development, solutions to the market-related and economic challenges and the development and implementation of an effective regulatory framework.
Setting out a roadmap capable of realising a hydrogen energy system requires both a detailed knowledge of underlying drivers and a broad understanding of the wider energy system. By understanding the various future price drivers of hydrogen technology, we have a sound basis for evaluating hydrogen’s development, both in terms of price and technology.
Analysis
We actively monitor hydrogen developments, both those related to the market and the associated technology. With a strong and versatile team, we are ready to assist our clients with in-depth analysis spanning the entire hydrogen value chain.
Examples of the questions covered by our hydrogen work include:
- What are the consequences of the increased production and use of hydrogen on the future power system?
- What is the profitability of hydrogen? Using our power market model, we can simulate the market value and consequences of hydrogen’s use in the future power system.
- Who are the market players in the hydrogen value chain and what are the drivers of the hydrogen’s future market potential?
- How are hydrogen and competing flexibility technologies developing? In our technology report, we map the past, current and future status of hydrogen technology across the entire value chain, covering production, transport, storage and distribution.
- How can hydrogen contribute to emission reductions within transport and industry, and how can one build cost-efficient, competitive value chains?
- Monitoring the developments within the Norwegian and European economic and regulatory framework.
- Evaluation of investment projects, strategic analyses, and business strategy development, as well as strategic implementation support.
Expertise
Our professional background and experience make us well-suited to solving relevant issues related to hydrogen’s integration into the energy system:
- Expertise covering all aspects of the power system and the power market, as well as broad knowledge about the various end users of hydrogen within industry and transport.
- A good understanding of hydrogen technology with consultants qualified in chemistry, physics and electronics.
- Market analysts who are experienced modelling the power market, experience that is important to analyse the value of introducing emissions-free hydrogen as a form of storage or a form of fuel within the future European energy system.
- Business development competence which enables us to help our clients to start or to further develop their hydrogen projects.
- Long experience from market design and analyses of regulation schemes in the energy sector.
Based on our project work, our exchanges and conversations with customers and our modelling expertise, we can tie technological and market developments together to provide a sound overall understanding of the sector.
