scholarly journals Legal Regulation of Hydrogen in Germany and Ukraine as a Precondition for Energy Partnership and Energy Transition

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (24) ◽  
pp. 8331
Author(s):  
Maryna Hritsyshyna ◽  
Nataliia Hutarevych

In August 2020, Germany and Ukraine launched an energy partnership that includes the development of a hydrogen economy. Ukraine has vast renewable energy resources for “green” hydrogen production and a gas transmission system for transportation instead of Russian natural gas. Based on estimates by Hydrogen Europe, Ukraine can install 8000 MW of total electrolyser capacity by 2030. For these reasons, Ukraine is among the EU’s priority partners concerning clean hydrogen, according to the EU Hydrogen strategy. Germany plans to reach climate neutrality by 2045, and “green” hydrogen plays an important role in achieving this target. However, according to the National Hydrogen Strategy of Germany, local production of “green” hydrogen will not cover all internal demand in Germany. For this reason, Germany considers importing hydrogen from Ukraine. To govern the production and import of “green” hydrogen, Germany and Ukraine shall introduce legal regulations, the initial analysis of which is covered in this study. Based on observation and comparison, this paper presents and compares approaches while exploring the current stage and further perspectives for legal regulation of hydrogen in Germany and Ukraine. This research identifies opportunities in hydrogen production to improve the flexibility of the Ukrainian power system. This is an important issue for Ukrainian energy security. In the meantime, hydrogen can be a driver for decarbonisation according to the initial plans of Germany, and it may also have positive impact on the operation of Germany’s energy system with a high share of renewables.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3437
Author(s):  
Andreas Rosenstiel ◽  
Nathalie Monnerie ◽  
Jürgen Dersch ◽  
Martin Roeb ◽  
Robert Pitz-Paal ◽  
...  

Global trade of green hydrogen will probably become a vital factor in reaching climate neutrality. The sunbelt of the Earth has a great potential for large-scale hydrogen production. One promising pathway to solar hydrogen is to use economically priced electricity from photovoltaics (PV) for electrochemical water splitting. However, storing electricity with batteries is still expensive and without storage only a small operating capacity of electrolyser systems can be reached. Combining PV with concentrated solar power (CSP) and thermal energy storage (TES) seems a good pathway to reach more electrolyser full load hours and thereby lower levelized costs of hydrogen (LCOH). This work introduces an energy system model for finding cost-optimal designs of such PV/CSP hybrid hydrogen production plants based on a global optimization algorithm. The model includes an operational strategy which improves the interplay between PV and CSP part, allowing also to store PV surplus electricity as heat. An exemplary study for stand-alone hydrogen production with an alkaline electrolyser (AEL) system is carried out. Three different locations with different solar resources are considered, regarding the total installed costs (TIC) to obtain realistic LCOH values. The study shows that a combination of PV and CSP is an auspicious concept for large-scale solar hydrogen production, leading to lower costs than using one of the technologies on its own. For today’s PV and CSP costs, minimum levelized costs of hydrogen of 4.04 USD/kg were determined for a plant located in Ouarzazate (Morocco). Considering the foreseen decrease in PV and CSP costs until 2030, cuts the LCOH to 3.09 USD/kg while still a combination of PV and CSP is the most economic system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11212
Author(s):  
Mehmet Efe Biresselioglu ◽  
Siyami Alp Limoncuoglu ◽  
Muhittin Hakan Demir ◽  
Johannes Reichl ◽  
Katrin Burgstaller ◽  
...  

The Climate Pact and the European Green Deal constitute the main components of the European Union (EU)’s climate change policy. Energy transition, that is, transformation to a zero-carbon global energy system, is one of the main pillars of climate change mitigation policies. This transformation, coupled with the empowerment of individuals within the energy system, shifts citizens from their roles as customers towards a more active role. Within this framework, energy communities stand out as significant facilitators for the participation of individuals and communities in the energy system, promoting self-consumption and contributing to the social acceptance of renewable energy initiatives, among other direct and indirect benefits. The main directives introducing energy communities into the EU legal system are RED II and ED 2019. This study, conducted as a part of a Horizon 2020-funded eCREW project, assessed the adaptability and implementability of these two directives within national legislation, along with the associated legal and administrative frameworks, utilizing evidence from Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. The comparative analysis also enhances the understanding of the concept of renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities, both in the EU and in nonmember countries. The results of the analysis revealed that none of the countries studied had yet completed the process of harmonizing their legislation concerning energy communities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 93-101
Author(s):  
T.A. Zheliezna ◽  
A.I. Bashtovyi

The aim of the work is to analyze possible ways of decarbonization of the EU heat supply sector. The task of the work is to identify the most promising areas and develop appropriate recommendations for Ukraine. The heat supply sector of the EU and Ukraine needs decarbonization, for which there is a big potential and different areas of implementation of relevant measures. In Europe, such a strategy is set out in the Roadmap for decarbonization of the EU heating sector until 2050, the main provisions of which are in line with objectives of the European Green Deal and the EU Strategy on Heating and Cooling. European experts have developed the concept of a smart energy system, which was taken into account when preparing the Roadmap for decarbonization of the EU heating sector until 2050. A number of carried out studies have shown that a smart energy system with 50% district heating integrated with other parts of the overall energy system is more efficient than a conventional energy system or the one based on decentralized heat supply, in terms of the possibility of using a high share of renewable energy. It is recommended for Ukraine to finalize the Concept of green energy transition until 2050, taking into account European approaches to the development of heating systems and the use of modern biofuels. It is also recommended to expand the current Concept of heat supply of Ukraine to the level of a strategy with an emphasis on the development of district heating systems, wide involvement of renewable energy sources and new technologies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-235
Author(s):  
Mark Leonard ◽  
◽  
Jean Pisani-Ferry ◽  
Jeremy Shapiro ◽  
Simone Tagliapietra ◽  
...  

The European Green Deal is a plan to decarbonise the EU economy by 2050, revolutionise the EU’s energy system, profoundly transform the economy and inspire efforts to combat climate change. But the plan will also have profound geopolitical repercussions. The Green Deal will affect geopolitics through its impact on the EU energy balance and global markets; on oil and gas-producing countries in the EU neighbourhood; on European energy security; and on global trade patterns, notably via the carbon border adjustment mechanism. At least some of these changes are likely to impact partner countries adversely. The EU needs to wake up to the consequences abroad of its domestic decisions. It should prepare to help manage the geopolitical aspects of the European Green Deal. Relationships with important neighbourhood countries such as Russia and Algeria, and with global players including the United States, China and Saudi Arabia, are central to this effort, which can be structured around seven actions: 1) Help neighbouring oil and gas-exporting countries manage the repercussions of the European Green Deal. The EU should engage with these countries to foster their economic diversification, including into renewable energy and green hydrogen that could in the future be exported to Europe; 2) Improve the security of critical raw materials supply and limit dependence, first and foremost on China. Essential measures include greater supply diversification, increased recycling volumes and substitution of critical materials; 3) Work with the US and other partners to establish a ‘climate club’ whose members will apply similar carbon border adjustment measures. All countries, including China, would be welcome to join if they commit to abide by the club's objectives and rules; 4) Become a global standard-setter for the energy transition, particularly in hydrogen and green bonds. Requiring compliance with strict environmental regulations as a condition to access the EU market will be strong encouragement to go green for all countries; 5) Internationalise the European Green Deal by mobilising the EU budget, the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund, and EU development policy; 6) Promote global coalitions for climate change mitigation, for example through a global coalition for the permafrost, which would fund measures to contain the permafrost thaw; 7) Promote a global platform on the new economics of climate action to share lessons learned and best practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12494
Author(s):  
Dorian Frieden ◽  
Andreas Tuerk ◽  
Ana Rita Antunes ◽  
Vasilakis Athanasios ◽  
Alexandros-Georgios Chronis ◽  
...  

To accelerate the energy transition, the EU “Clean Energy for all Europeans” package aims to strengthen the involvement of end consumers in the energy market. To this end, together with so-called “active consumers” and provisions for individual and collective renewable energy self-consumption, two types of energy communities were introduced. The EU framework, however, leaves many details of the transposition process to the national level. The corresponding directives were supposed to be transposed by the end of December 2020 (recast Electricity Market Directive, defining active consumers and citizen energy communities) and by the end of June 2021 (Renewable Energy Directive, defining renewables self-consumption and renewable energy communities). In this paper, we critically discuss major developments of the transposition, including questions of the general distinction of the different concepts, governance and ownership, physical expansion, administrative barriers and the overall integration of energy communities into the energy system. The analysis builds on country case studies as well as on previous work by the authors on the status of the transposition process throughout the EU. The paper shows that the national approaches differ greatly and are at very different stages. While basic provisions are in place in most Member States to meet the fundamental EU requirements, the overall integration into the energy system and market is only partly addressed. This concerns, for instance, the analysis of system impacts of energy communities and measures that would allow and support energy system-friendly behaviour. In addition, several practical hurdles need to be overcome. These often relate to administrative requirements such as complex registration and licensing procedures, the need for the involvement of several institutions, or difficult procedures for access to relevant data. The paper concludes that discussed barriers will need to be carefully addressed if the high expectations for the role of energy communities are to be met.


Energy Policy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 110960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pantelis Capros ◽  
Georgios Zazias ◽  
Stavroula Evangelopoulou ◽  
Maria Kannavou ◽  
Theofano Fotiou ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-114
Author(s):  
Nataliia Kovalenko ◽  
Taras Hutsol ◽  
Vitalii Kovalenko ◽  
Szymon Glowacki ◽  
Sergii Kokovikhin ◽  
...  

Abstract Over the last few years, hydrogen energy has shifted from a little-studied field to the main one with which leading western countries associate the prospects of their national economies. The reasons are the unprecedented pace of development of hydrogen technologies. It turned out that they are able to provide significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and thus bring closer the solution to the problem of global climate change. The first and foremost purpose of our investigation is to reveal that our country has ample opportunities to become the main supplier of hydrogen to the EU market, overtaking North Africa in the competition. Using the methods, authors studied the targets of the European funds towards development of energy production from biohydrogen, studied the potential for the implementation of hydrogen projects, possibilities of financing them and a potential ability of Ukraine to form internal and external markets for hydrogen energy. One of the main issues of Ukraine's possible participation in Europe's hydrogen energy program as a supplier and producer of renewable hydrogen is the possibility of its technically safe and cost-effective transportation to EU countries. As a conclusion to the authors’ research, the path of the hydrogen industry development in Ukraine will help to receive additional investments in the Ukrainian economy for creation of new capacities for "green" hydrogen production. In return, Europe will receive research and evolution of the bioenergy component of the economy, which will permit the safe transition of Europeans to an affordable, competitive, and stable energy system.


2021 ◽  
pp. 014459872110583
Author(s):  
Said Mirza Tercan ◽  
Onur Elma ◽  
Erdin Gokalp ◽  
Umit Cali

The recent advances in the modern power grids, such as growing energy demand and penetration of higher amounts of distributed energy generators like renewable energy resources, caused additional grid integration challenges for the distributed energy system operators. Besides, deep electrification impacts triggered by a growing share of electric vehicles as additional electric loads made it essential for the distributed energy system operators to re-investigate their upgrade plans in terms of distributed energy system lines and corresponding infrastructure investments. An energy storage system offers the opportunity to use energy flexibly, resulting in deferring the inevitable upgrade costs of the distribution grid elements and increasing the power quality. In this study, a new method is proposed to extend the lifespan of distributed energy systems with an energy storage system and reduce line upgrade costs. The proposed method is tested on the IEEE-33 with different case studies. The findings of this study indicated that the investigated energy storage option has a positive impact on the distributed energy system components and assets in terms of extending their lifespan and helping to mitigate growing demand peaks because of the load increase. According to the results, the proposed method reduces the total cost by up to 66%. Furthermore, the power losses are reduced by an average of 34.8%, and the voltage profiles are improved with the energy storage system.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3439
Author(s):  
Roham Torabi ◽  
Álvaro Gomes ◽  
F. Morgado-Dias

Facilitating high-RES (Renewable Energy Resources) penetration via integrated resource management is considered a promising strategy on different islands worldwide. For this work, the Portuguese island of Porto Santo is established as a test bench using actual data from the island. Given its geographical condition and energy needs, integrating the management of different resources (namely, the electric power grid with the water supply system, intensive in-land transportation electrification, and the energy storage applications) is analyzed by this work to achieve a power grid relying entirely on RES. The energy storage utilization and the purposeful manipulations in demand patterns have been perceived as instruments to reduce RES availability and consumption mismatch. Electric Vehicles (EV) could be perceived as a reliable alternative to centralized storage systems, acting either as a load or power resource (generator), providing the required flexibility for power systems to uptake the increased RES and maintaining the balance of supply and demand. This means that EVs could contribute to greening both the power system and the transport sectors. Hence, the impact of the EVs’ penetration level on the island was assessed through a gradual increase in the EVs’ total number (from 0 to a fleet containing 2500 vehicles). Furthermore, a collaboration between the water supply (seawater desalination) and the energy sector is proposed. The obtained results revealed that the optimized management of resources could significantly help the overall energy system (power grid) to rely only on RES (solar and wind energies). The curtailments decreased relatively (maximizing the RES share), while the polluter conventional power plant remained off over the simulation periods.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (24) ◽  
pp. 8221
Author(s):  
Bartłomiej Iglinski ◽  
Karol Flisikowski ◽  
Michał Bernard Pietrzak ◽  
Urszula Kiełkowska ◽  
Mateusz Skrzatek ◽  
...  

In the era of globalization and rapid economic growth, affecting most world economies, increased production and consumption are leading to higher levels of energy production and consumption. The growing demand for energy means that energy resources from conventional sources are not sufficient; moreover, its production generates high costs and contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases and waste. In view of the above, many countries have opted to implement an energy transformation. The energy transition allows the transition from an energy system based on conventional fuels to an energy system based mainly on renewable energy (RE) and low-emission sources. In the EU, the development of a “green economy” has become a strategic goal in the fight against climate change. The development of RE offers the possibility to improve the energy security of a given country and the entire EU. New, innovative technologies of RE also increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of the economies of the Member States. In line with the EU strategy, the activities carried out aim to achieve a situation in which, in 2050, the activities of economies will not endanger the environment. The main purpose of this article was the assessment of the RE sector in the Pomerania region in the context of energy transformation. To achieve this goal, PEST analysis regarding the functioning of the RE sector in the selected Polish region was used and the potential of the RE sector was determined using GIS tools on the basis of physical conditions. The article presents the research hypothesis that the RE sector within the Pomerania Voivodeship possesses appropriate energy potential, which will allow this Voivodeship to become an energy self-sufficient region based on the use of these energy sources (according to EU strategy). The implementation of the goal set in the article allowed for the verification of the research hypothesis, where the determined energy potential from the RE sector would cover the Voivodeship’s needs due to the use of electricity and heat. The conducted research shows that the RE sector in these regions has high energy potential to meet the criteria outlined in EU legal documents and to implement them successfully within the intended period.


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