Societatea Națională Nuclearelectrica (SNN) signed on Monday, together with other energy companies, research institutes and associations, a joint letter to the European Commission regarding the contribution of low carbon sources to hydrogen production, thus leading to the achievement of decarbonization set for 2050.
Currently, 95% of the hydrogen production needed in industry, transport and energy production is ensured through the use of methane gas, which leads to significant CO2 emissions. For every kilogram of hydrogen produced, 10 kilograms of CO2 are emitted.
According to the study conducted by the International Energy Agency in 2019, globally there is an increase in applications that use hydrogen as well as a growing demand for hydrogen from clean energy sources, leading to the decarbonization of the electricity generation sector. The potential of hydrogen also lies in its ability to store and deliver clean energy to the grid, to follow the curve closely the need for energy.
The companies and associations that signed the joint letter to the European Commission (Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Commissioners Kadri Simson, Thierry Breton and Mariya Gabriel) recommend that a number of proposals and principles on clean hydrogen generation be considered in the Energy System Integration Strategy and Clean Hydrogen Strategy, which will be issued in the near future by the Commission under the European Green Deal.
The proposals are to encourage the production and demand of hydrogen from clean sources, which will allow the replacement of hydrogen supplied from sources with significant CO2 emissions currently used in industry and the expansion of the use of clean hydrogen in other industrial sectors, with a role in decarbonisation.
“Hydrogen production through the use of nuclear energy, a greenhouse gas-free energy, is considered by the major producing and consuming companies in Europe as a potential path to recovery from the economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These companies, including Nuclearelectrica, recommend to the European Commission to introduce into public debate and future energy policies the key role that nuclear energy, along with renewable energies, must play in decarbonising the energy and industrial sector, also by producing hydrogen through existing nuclear capabilities as well as new ones that will be built in Romania and Europe. Future developments in nuclear energy require the current commitment of investments in both research and development and in the construction of new production capacities and the extension of the life of existing ones. Nuclear demonstrates flexibility and versatility through its applications, with an essential role in the economic recovery of Europe,” said Cosmin Ghiță, General Manager of Nuclearelectrica.
At European level, nuclear energy accounts for 50% of total carbon-free energy produced in the European Union and more than a quarter of total energy generated, providing 1.1 million jobs and an annual contribution of 507 billion euro to the GDP.