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10 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 JULY 2020 OPINION TODAY, the European Commission will publish their long-awaited hydrogen strategy. It is certain by now that green hydrogen will play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of our economy. To launch a successful hydrogen econ- omy we need a comprehensive roadmap that regulates the access to green hydro- gen per sector. In this article, we elabo- rate on important choices that might not seem relevant now, but will make or break the success of our green hydrogen economy. Global technology leadership is vital In theory, the production of hydrogen is simple: you only need an electric current (electrolysis) to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, to produce green hydrogen on a large scale, we need vast amounts of renewable energy and huge hydrogen (electrolysis) plants. The cur- rent renewable energy production project- ed for the EU in 2050 will be insufficient to create the needed capacity to produce green hydrogen for Europe. Therefore, we need to significantly scale up the produc- tion of renewable energy in Europe. Green hydrogen technologies work, but they are still largely underdeveloped. The largest electrolysis plant currently being built has a maximum production capac- ity of 1 Gigawatt. Research suggests that the production capacity of green hydro- gen for Europe, can go up to 3400 Giga- watt in 2050. This means, Europe needs to invest more in research and innovation to increase and improve the production capacity of green hydrogen. Additionally, there are other promising and important hydrogen technologies which need fur- ther research and development. For ex- ample, fuel cells, hydrogen storage and synthetic green chemicals and fuels. To make this happen, Europe should take on the role as the global technology leader for green hydrogen. Blue Hydrogen An alternative the industry is willing to provide is blue hydrogen. This is hydro- gen made by using fossil fuels and where the carbon is captured and stored (CCS). Blue hydrogen is cheaper to produce than green hydrogen and it can help accelerate the (green) hydrogen economy. To pre- vent a new fossil fuel "lock in", the produc- tion capacity cannot exceed the potential production capacity for green hydrogen. This technology also needs further devel- opment and the Shell Sky scenario for ex- ample, contains a staggering 10,000 CCS projects necessary to limit CO2 emissions globally. As of 2019, there are only 21 CCS projects in the world! The cost of carbon capture and storage remains an important barrier to the take-up of CCS and the tech- nology itself is also controversial. If we use this technology, we need to do it wisely; only to get rid of unavoidable industrial carbon emissions. For example, green hy- drogen can reduce the carbon emissions of steel production by 95%. We need CCS to capture that last 5%. Regulating use and demand Launching the hydrogen economy re- quires a vast amount of public invest- ments, because green hydrogen is not yet cost-competitive compared to other fuels. We need to make sure these investments pay off socially and environmentally. The Commission needs to create a roadmap prioritising when and which sectors can include green hydrogen in their decarbon- isation strategy. This should be based on (1) the total availability of green hydrogen (2) the other options sectors have to decar- bonize, (3) where carbon emissions can be decreased most, and (4) where it can be implemented cost- effectively. Until we have sufficient green hydrogen, it re- mains a scarce commodity. In order to use hydrogen as a means of decarboniz- ing our whole economy, we cannot allow ourselves to approach it through an iso- lated perspective per sector. We need to overlook the short-term gains and focus on regulating demand on the long run to prevent negative market effects. Instead of asking 'can we use hydrogen', we need to focus on 'should we use hydrogen', al- so in relation to the dependence of other sectors on hydrogen to decarbonise. A long-term strategy will help regulating the use and demand when we do not yet have enough hydrogen for everyone. It is therefore that we call on the Commission to develop a clear roadmap while taking into consideration the different needs of the different sectors. Accessibility to all regions Coordinating the use and demand of hydrogen also entails regulating the sup- ply. More specifically, we need to ensure accessibility to all regions. Switching to a new energy source can potentially de- crease the energy security for some re- gions. We encourage an equal and just distribution of the benefits of transition- ing to a new energy system, while at the same time also sharing the burden. We cannot allow anyone to be left behind. An essential part of the Green Deal is en- suring a Just Transition; everyone needs to be able to benefit from the transition. Green hydrogen can play an important role in the Just Transition, provided that the EU takes on its role as a leader. A successful green hydrogen economy requires clear choices now Mohammed Chahim, Miriam Dalli, Dan Nica, Ismail Ertug The authors are S&D MEPs A long-term strategy will help regulating the use and demand when we do not yet have enough hydrogen for everyone