Hydrogen could replace natural gas for power generation in the UK cost-effectively and decrease emissions, the UK Committee on Climate Change said Thursday but warned that it was best used "selectively."
By 2030, the UK is likely to have a very low-carbon electricity system fueled by renewables and nuclear and backed up by flexible thermal capacity, mainly natural gas plants. Hence, there is an opportunity for hydrogen to replace natural gas "cost-effectively in this back-up role," the CCC said in a report.
It called for new gas plants to be made "hydrogen ready," including being well-sited with respect to potential hydrogen supplies to spur the progress.
"Burning hydrogen instead of natural gas can reduce emissions by 60-85% when including lifecycle emissions," the CCC said.
However, it added that hydrogen is best used selectively where it adds most value alongside widespread electrification, improvements to energy and resource efficiency, and use of carbon capture storage (CCS) in industry and on bioenergy, the report said.
"This means using hydrogen where the alternative is continuing to burn unabated fossil fuels or where there are limits to feasible electrification," the CCC said.
The report said this was because hydrogen from fossil fuels with CCS is low-carbon but not zero carbon, while its uptake in the power sector may be constrained by the availability of the fuel.
