The 2018 film First Man is a spectacular story about Neil Armstrong and how the USA rose to the challenge of putting man on the moon. Humanity thrives on setting challenges and then doing everything possible to meet them. We stretch our technological knowledge, and we invest enormous sums into research and development.
As the film depicts so brilliantly, when these challenges are met, it’s a thrilling moment. When Armstrong walked on the Moon in 1969, millions of people around the world shared the sense of triumph and benefited from the technological innovations that made it possible for decades after.
Nowadays, our greatest technological dilemma is not found in outer-space but here on planet earth: Net zero is the challenge of our times. In June 2019, the United Kingdom set itself the bold target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This means dramatically reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. The ‘net’ comes from the fact that some emissions are unavoidable, and so when those gases go into the atmosphere, we need to take an equal amount of greenhouse gases out.
Net zero is a target to take seriously. Like putting man on the moon, it’s going to require a very open mind. The discussion around some of the solutions has gotten out of hand. We should acknowledge that there are many options available, and all deserve careful consideration.
Hydrogen is an important part of the solution. It’s crucial for sectors where removing greenhouse gases is particularly difficult.
The reason is clear. Across the UK and major European nations, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro and biomass account for half of the energy mix, while fossil fuels, such as gas and coal, and nuclear make up the remainder.
Power demand is projected to increase significantly by 2040, potentially doubling current levels. This surge will be driven by the electrification of sectors such as road transport, industrial production, and heating.
While renewables, particularly offshore wind, will grow considerably, the anticipated demand means renewables will make up around half of the overall power generation mix by 2040. Gas, coal and nuclear will provide more output but their share in the overall mix might not be enough to provide all the power that we will need.
This creates a potential gap between the power we’ll be producing and the projected energy demands by 2040. In light of the UK’s net zero target, this gap must be filled by non-fossil fuel sources.
Hydrogen should play a pivotal role in bridging this gap. Several countries, particularly in the Middle East, Africa and South America, have significant potential to produce green power through solar and wind resources. These regions could serve as strategic partners for the UK and Europe in meeting future energy needs. We need to store and transport green power produced in the Global South to regions where demand is high.
On a smaller scale, hydrogen can be transported in gaseous form via pipelines from nearby regions, such as North Africa and the Caucasus, to the UK and Europe.
Large-scale hydrogen production in the UK and Europe will likely play a limited role, as local green power will primarily be used for electrification in sectors such as transport, industrial production, and heating. However, hydrogen can be a crucial solution during periods of surplus solar and wind production. If we have high winds in the middle of the night, the electricity generated can be used to power electrolysers to generate hydrogen. Once the power demand picks up again, the wind turbines and solar panels can return to powering the electricity grid and we’ll also have a reservoir of hydrogen to use.
To facilitate this, governments must urgently negotiate long-term, binding agreements within the framework of international energy partnerships to trigger necessary investments.
Critics often argue that hydrogen and its derivatives are inefficient and costly because of energy losses during production. However, the capital costs of solar installations have significantly decreased in recent years. When factors such as land availability, sunlight hours, electrolyser efficiency and economies of scale are favourable, the inefficiencies in hydrogen production become negligible.
Bosch has always believed in technology neutrality. Just like when NASA sent a crew to the Moon, incorporating the best technology to solve each specific problem is the only way to accomplish the overall target – whether it’s to put a man on the moon or to make the UK one of the world’s first net zero industrialised countries.
To learn more about Bosch’s approach to sustainable and inclusive mobility, read the discussion paper here.
