Green hydrogen is seen as a beacon of hope in the fight against the climate crisis. What role do you think hydrogen can play in the energy system of the future?
Green hydrogen is a key component of the energy transition because it has the capacity to solve problems for which there aren’t any other good alternatives. Hydrogen can be used as a reducing agent in iron production, as a raw material in the chemical industry, in high-temperature applications or to cover peak loads in electricity generation and heating. As things stand, it’ll also have a key role to play in long-haul transport, such as in shipping or aviation. In many cases, however, hydrogen isn’t used “as is”. Instead, it serves as an intermediate product for produ-cing other energy carriers or feedstock like methanol, ammonia or synthetic methane. Austria already uses over 130,000 tonnes of hydrogen a year. However, all of this hydrogen – which is mainly used for fertilizer production and refining – is based on natural gas, which is harmful to the climate. In addition to developing new areas of application, these quantities need to be replaced by green hydrogen as a matter of priority within the next few years.
 
How important is research and technology development? What are Austria’s strengths in this field?
Because we want hydrogen to help reduce emissions, it has to be climate-neutral. One tonne of hydrogen containing 33 MWh of energy requires around 50 MWh of electrical energy and more than 9,000 litres of water. In other words, a third of energy input is lost. And, if the hydrogen is methanised or synthesised in combination with CO₂, then you’ll have further losses due to the conversion process. These production processes for hydrogen – as well as its storage and transport – are an important area in technology development. Whether or not we make rapid progress also hinges on actually getting the many applications and possible uses out into the field testing them in large-scale trial projects. Austria already has a high percentage of renewables in its electricity mix, is a key region for energy storage, a hub for energy transport and is industrially strong – this makes it the perfect testbed for a wide range of key solutions for a climate-neutral future powered with the help of hydrogen and its derivatives.
 
What are the biggest challenges facing efforts to build an Austrian hydrogen industry?  
Our existing gas infrastructure evolved over a period of more than five decades. Within the next 20 years, it will need to be completely rebuilt or converted, in order to handle hydrogen. Consequently, domestic production needs to be ramped up, reliable partnerships for imports need to be established and innovative solutions for using green hydrogen need to be scaled. The short time available for building a hydrogen based part of the economy calls for a proactive and decisive approach in an extremely fast-paced environment. Well-coordinated cooperation between all stakeholders is vital to avoid falling behind. Cooperation is needed within Austria but also further afield, with European and international partners. Supported by funding and an environment that reduces their risks, producers, transporters, storage companies and consumers must act together to overcome the crucial barrier to ramping up the hydrogen industry. You can sense this unifying spirit in Austria – and it’s something that we need to keep building on, including within the Hydrogen Partnership Austria (HyPA).