How renewable “green hydrogen” can help an energy transition

– Green hydrogen can be an important renewable energy source.

Here are the key takeaways from this article from “Mirova”:

1. A multipurpose gas with outstanding energy properties: per kilo, as it contains 2.2 times more energy than natural gas, 2.75 times more than petrol and three times more than crude oil.
2. Fast-growing worldwide demand and solid prospects to shift from carbon-intensive (grey) to renewable (green) hydrogen.
3. Colossal investment requirements: 280 billion dollars between now and 2030 in R&D, infrastructure, mass production1.
4. A highly favorable political, regulatory, industrial and financial environment: standards, public sector investment, French pure players, etc.
5. Multiple financing opportunities: infrastructure, equity, green bonds, etc.

And here’s an excerpt from Sasja Belik’s newsletter about the potential of hydropower:

Today the technical potential for hydropower development around the world is much greater than the actual production: the percent of potential hydropower capacity that has not been developed is 71% in Europe, 75% in North America, 79% in South America, 95% in Africa, 95% in the Middle East, and 82% in Asia-Pacific. This is significant if you think about transition we need to make.

Due to the political realities of new reservoirs in western countries, economic limitations in the third world and the lack of a transmission system in undeveloped areas, perhaps 25% of the remaining technically exploitable potential can be developed before 2050, with the bulk of that being in the Asia-Pacific area. Some countries have already developed their hydropower potential and have very little room for growth: Switzerland for example produces 88% of its potential and Mexico 80%.