Today hydrogen has very limited use as an energy carrier in the UK. The hydrogen supply chain that does exist is almost exclusively for the chemical industry, with the hydrogen predominantly transported by vehicle in liquid or compressed form. The pipelines that do exist are used to move hydrogen relatively short distances and at relatively low volumes within the confines of chemical plants. Hydrogen is stored in reasonably large quantities in salt caverns, helping to balance somewhat intermittent consumption with the much steadier output from production plants. At present, hydrogen is predominantly produced from natural gas using a process known as steam methane reforming (SMR) but can be produced in a number of ways and from a variety of sources.
the ability to supply hydrogen from low carbon sources and the infrastructure to move it to demand locations are crucial to delivering hydrogen to any sector. Building an infrastructure to move hydrogen for use as an energy carrier would be starting from virtually nothing. Major investment will be needed to make this a reality, both in equipment and in the growth of a supply chain to deliver it. this will take time to establish. commitments around future demand for hydrogen, and the ability to produce it from low carbon sources, inevitably dictate an incremental approach which limits major infrastructure investment until demand and low carbon supply are further established.
This report summarises key themes emerging from the Energy Technologies Institute’s (ETI) project ‘Enabling efficient networks for low carbon futures’. The project aimed to explore the options for reforming the governance and regulatory arrangements to enable major changes to, and investment in, the UK’s energy network infrastructures. ETI commissioned four expert perspectives on the challenges and options facing the UK.
Summaries of the papers produced in carrying out this project are contained in the appendix to this paper and the full papers are published alongside this summary paper.
Energy governance and regulation frameworks – time for a change ? Keith MacLean, February 2016
Enabling efficient future energy networks – what governance and regulation will be needed in 2030 ?. Robert Hull, February 2016
Enabling efficient networks for low carbon futures. Jorge Vasconcelos, February 2016
Markets, Policy and Regulation in a Low Carbon Future. John Rhys, January 2016
To discharge the UK Participating Agency role in the first year of Task 18 of the IEA's Implementing Agreement on Hydrogen
To review and identify candidate UK hydrogen demonstration projects
To reach agreement in relation to one or more of these projects, in relation to their participation within the Task 18 project analysis framework
The conclusions from this project were:
The work has identified a range of hydrogen related demonstration activities in the UK, either already operational, under construction or planned
Compressed gaseous hydrogen fuelled fuel cell installations represent the majority of installations to date
The HARI project, at West Beacon Farm, Leics., represented the sole UK example of an integrated renewable energy/hydrogen system implemented to date
Anticipated developments , which are projected to be commissioned within the next six months, include the CUTE re-fuelling station in Essex and the PURE project, in Unst, Shetland
The Infrastructure Cost Calculator is a network transition costing tool. It uses a robust, centrally stored database to enable the calculation and comparison of transition costs across the four main energy vectors: electricity, gas, heat and hydrogen. Users can defi ne and compare different scenarios to understand long term investments for a UK transition to a low carbon energy network.
The calculator uses data on the costs and performance associated with fi xed energy infrastructure.The user is able to defi ne and compare infrastructure options associated with a variety of energy generation and demand scenarios across different timescales.The calculator allows the user to compare capital and operating costs, identifying areas of high cost and providing analysis to understand the impact of a wide range of variables; including cost trends, location and start time. The cost ofnew infrastructure or refurbishing, re-purposing and abandoning existing network infrastructure across any scale or level of complexity can be carried out using a clean user friendly interface
Over the coming decades the UK energy system will need to transition in order to meet challenging greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets. Population growth, changing demographics, and changing patterns of energy use will all affect how energy needs to be provided.
Equally, the availability of natural resources, the maturity of technologies, their relative costs and the various factors that influence their sustainability, will all affect the ways in which energy can be produced and supplied.
For a variety of practical and economic reasons, energy is rarely created in the location it is ultimately consumed. Networks perform the vital role of transporting energy from where it is produced to where it is required. They also perform a crucial role in helping to balance supply and demand, ensuring that energy is not only available in the right locations but also atthe right time. This part of their role is likely to take on greater significance as the energy system evolves.
Currently, most of the UK’s energy is moved around the country, and sometimes beyond, by electricity and gas networks, and the liquid fuel supply system (e.g. petrol and diesel). The roles of these networks will inevitably change as the ways in which we provide and consume energy evolve and as other networks emerge, not least those carrying heat and hydrogen. It is imperative that all of these networks are fit for purpose and robust enough to respond to future uncertainties. Choices need to be made about which networks to build, develop, maintain or decommission, as well as where and when to do so. As networks can take years or even decades to build, the right decisions must be made ahead of need. Equally, once they are built, networks cannot easily be movedor changed, so decisions need to beright for the long term.
It is also likely that there will need to be significantly more interaction between different parts of the energy system in the future, and therefore, by implication, there will need to be more interaction between the respective networks. Consequently, decisions about the future of networks should also consider how other energy networks are likely to evolve.
All of the above is in the context of significant uncertainty; any future network investments therefore need to be robust in the face of a range of possible transition pathway outcomes.
In this insight report we set out some of the key issues faced over the coming decades in pursuing different choices in relation to energy networks. We have focused on electricity, gas, heat and hydrogen networks, which we believe have vital roles to playover the period out to 2050. Our analysis also highlights the importance of CO2 networks and transport fuel over that period out to 2050.
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