Ireland: Ambitious National Hydrogen Strategy published

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications recently published its National Hydrogen Strategy (the “Strategy”) (a full copy of the Strategy can be found here). 

The Strategy outlines the role that renewable hydrogen will play in Ireland’s renewable energy transition and provides a long-term, strategic vision of what the Irish renewable hydrogen sector will look like in the future. In the short-term, it is hoped that the actions and guidance outlined in the Strategy will help  remove potential inhibitors to developing hydrogen projects. Ireland has huge potential to harness its offshore and onshore renewable resources to develop a hydrogen economy, and the development and implementation of the Strategy will facilitate this goal, while complementing the objectives set out in other closely related government policy papers.

Key elements of the Strategy

Producing renewable hydrogen

In the short-term, renewable hydrogen will be produced from grid connected electrolysis from surplus renewables, which will initially be required to meet EU targets in the transport sector. In the long-term, a 2GW target of offshore wind for production of renewable hydrogen is to be in development in 2030. The Strategy notes that this will help to provide greater certainty for investors and create the volumes needed to scale up the sector.

Identifying end uses for renewable hydrogen

The deployment of renewable hydrogen will focus on hard-to-decarbonise sectors where energy efficiency and direct electrification are not feasible or cost-effective solutions. These include sectors like transport, aviation and maritime. Heavy duty transport applications are anticipated to be the first end use sectors to develop, followed then by industry and flexible power generation. 

Other potential end uses include industrial heat and processing, aviation, maritime and non-energy end-uses. However, these will take longer to develop.It will be necessary to develop a roadmap to bring net zero dispatchable power solutions to market by 2030, undertake additional work to assess the role of integrated energy, publish a draft National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuel Infrastructure and to assess the potential for end uses such as eFuels.

Transporting renewable hydrogen

To transport hydrogen, it is envisaged that initial hydrogen applications will use compressed tankering solutions. The infrastructure will initially be rolled out in “regional clusters” where production, high priority demand and large-scale storage are located. Expanding and linking those clusters into a national hydrogen network will play a crucial role in creating a liquid mature hydrogen market.

Long duration storage, networks and storage infrastructure and commercial ports will be important in the development process. The Strategy calls out the use of private wire networks, noting that where hydrogen is produced in direct proximity to renewable energy sources, it may in some situations be more efficient to permit a direct line between the production source and the electrolyser. The long-awaited Government consultation on private wires and subsequent outcomes will inform future policy changes on this aspect.

Other key actions under the transport heading include undertaking work to determine the quantities and profile of zero carbon long duration energy storage required until 2050, reviewing existing licensing and regulatory requirements for storing hydrogen, potential required regulatory changes and continuing to prove technical capabilities of the gas network. 

Safety and Regulation

Standards and regimes surrounding the development of the renewable hydrogen sector will need to conform with EU policy and law. A safety roadmap will be required to ensure that all relevant safety frameworks and regulatory regimes are satisfied. Renewable and low carbon hydrogen will also be defined in line with EU regulations and a certification scheme will be established. Regulatory gaps will also need to be addressed, as will considerations around hydrogen leakage and NOx emissions. To meet these goals, a working group will be established to create the safety roadmap. The hydrogen and decarbonised gases market package will also be incorporated into domestic legislation once approved on an EU level. Gaps in licensing spatial planning and environmental matters will also need to be identified.

Innovation and Skills

Strategy recognises that it will be necessary to continue to engage in and follow the progress of global research on renewable hydrogen. Further research is required to fully appreciate how employment might be impacted in this sector in the coming years. Engagement with the Irish and European research sectors will be prioritised to ensure that renewable hydrogen projects and knowledge continue to develop.

Next Steps

The Strategy includes a timeline for the development of Ireland’s hydrogen economy, from 2023 through to 2050. However, it is clear that further action needs to be undertaken to achieve large-scale commercialisation of renewable hydrogen in Ireland. Such actions should be focussed on government supports, subsidy plans and the implementation of legislative changes to establish a clear regulatory and licensing regime for hydrogen. It will be interesting to see how these aspects and the actions outlined in the Strategy develop in the years ahead.

 

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