The European Commission is investing greatly in hydrogen - Invests 180-470 billion euros by 2050

By: Thomas Ström 9/3/20

What will drive our vehicles and our industry in the future? I believe that it will be hydrogen and fuel cells!
I have been convinced of this for a long time, which I have also presented here on the blog. And I will tell you more about hydrogen in the future.
Today, I write about that the European Commission this summer decided to invest a vast 180-470 billion euros to expand the production of hydrogen in Europe.

This commitment has the potential to generate about one million new jobs. Many companies in Sweden and Europe would benefit if the EU were to launch this huge investment in hydrogen. EU wants to accelerate the investments as quickly as possible, not least to stimulate the European economy, which is being hit hard by the corona crisis. I read in media that the government's coordinator for a Fossil Free Sweden, Svante Axelsson, is almost stunned by the possibilities of hydrogen. I am glad that more people have discovered this.Svante Axelsson sees three reasons why the EU is now making this investment, which I myself and many others agree with.

Firstly, the price of electricity from solar and wind power has fallen sharply, which means that enough green electricity can be produced. Electricity is needed for the appliances (electrolysers) which in turn produce green hydrogen gas from water. The second factor is that the price of these devices has recently become cheaper. The third factor is that the hydrogen gas is needed as a storage to take care of the electricity that is produced with the help of solar and wind power. The hydrogen gas produced with the help of these energy sources can be stored and used later to provide electricity when it is dark and windless.

As I pointed out earlier, hydrogen can be used in several different areas and in various ways. South Korea has come a long way, which I will describe in future posts. In Europe and Sweden, hydrogen is already used in industry. A good example is the steel company SSAB, the mining company LKAB and Vattenfall, which run a joint project called Hybrit. The project aims to develop fossil-free steel by replacing coal with hydrogen.

Svante Axelsson says to the media that "Hydrogen is absolutely crucial if we are to succeed in having a 100% renewable energy system."
This summer, he has been commissioned by the government to develop a proposal for a Swedish hydrogen strategy, which will be presented in the spring of 2021.

This is needed! Countries within the EU that prove to be at the forefront of hydrogen production can receive very large grants and subsidies. I think it would be enormously gratifying if Sweden could become one of the countries in the world that is at the forefront of the development of hydrogen! It would benefit us in many ways for several decades.

Thomas