HYway is a new EU-funded research project that brings together hydrogen experts from 12 institutions across Europe. The project aims to provide key information to policy makers and stakeholders on both the risks and climate benefits of large-scale hydrogen use.
Large knowledge gaps on the indirect climate impact of hydrogen use
David Wårlind is a climate researcher at the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Sciences, and a member of the strategic research areas MERGE and BECC. He says that although the great advantage of hydrogen is that it is not a greenhouse gas with a direct climate impact, its indirect climate impact can be significant:
– Hydrogen affects methane, ozone and water in the atmosphere. For example, hydrogen extends the lifetime of methane gas, which is a powerful greenhouse gas with a major impact on the climate. As more hydrogen is used in our economy, it is important that we understand its indirect climate impacts.
Hydrogen is also an extremely volatile gas, making the risk of leakage high. To minimise the volume of hydrogen that reaches the atmosphere, the project will identify where leaks may occur. For example, by creating future scenarios for different types of uses for hydrogen, how the hydrogen will be transported and stored, and where in the chain there is a risk of leakage. In this way, the industry can work preventative with these risks.
The article is published in full on MERGE's website. Click the link to keep reading:
New project fills knowledge gaps on the climate impact of hydrogen emissions | MERGE (lu.se)