Electric, hydrogen, methanol, and biofuel cars are becoming popular for reducing road transport emissions. In limited operational contexts, these technologies are commonly called clean or zero-emission, but resource availability, lifetime implications, and infrastructural restrictions determine...

Drop-in alternative liquid fuels—Renewable Diesel (RD) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)—offer material near-term abatement for hard-to-electrify transport segments, such as Aviation and heavy-duty transport; their deployment depends on pathway-specific costs, hydrogen requirements, and...

This study critically examines HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology), a Swedish flagship project-led by the government-owned iron ore company LKAB-to produce fossil-free sponge iron using hydrogen from fossil-free electricity. Positioned as a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal and...

Combined cycle (CC) plants are expected to play an important role in balancing generation of heat and electricity from non-dispatchable renewable energy sources. In this work, we study different retrofit options for using hydrogen in CC plants to reduce the plant's CO2 emissions. These options...

As decarbonisation efforts accelerate globally, the role of large-scale underground storage for energy and climate-related gases – natural gas, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide – is becoming increasingly important. While the demand for natural gas as a transition fuel is expected to rise at...

The transition to clean power is the most critical step in closing the emissions gap by 2030. Nonetheless, the transition to clean power is not without its challenges. The endeavour to increase the integration of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) sources to curtail greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions...

Within the transition to climate-neutral energy systems, hydrogen has the potential to support decarbonization of multiple sectors. Just like in electricity markets, volatility in hydrogen supply and process-specific demand may lead to volatile prices in a hydrogen market. This volatility may...

Renewable hydrogen has emerged as a cornerstone of the European Union (EU)’s plan to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors. However, like other regions, the EU is facing a demand issue as offtakers have been reluctant to sign offtake agreements given the high costs of renewable hydrogen. Renewable...

This study applies a robust techno-economic framework to explore four key decarbonisation pathways – unabated steam methane reforming (SMR), SMR with carbon capture and storage (CCS), biomass-based hydrogen (BIOH₂), and renewable hydrogen via alkaline electrolyser cells (AEC) – across 52...

China’s manufacturing capabilities and advancements in reducing electrolyzer costs have sparked both hopes and concerns about its potential to dominate global electrolyzer production and exports. This is often compared to China’s success in solar photovoltaics (PV), where dramatic cost...

Hydrogen offtake agreements are foundational to the development of the clean hydrogen economy. By securing long-term commitments, they enable capital-intensive projects and support market growth. While contracting activity remains at an early stage, the emergence of binding agreements signals...

Hydrogen is an important element in the transition to a green economy, with its potential to play a key role in the decarbonization of industry and transport within the European Union. The aim of this article is to analyse the differences in hydrogen production and consumption between selected...

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) are an effective tool for addressing the challenges of rural electrification in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, their viability is limited by the lifespan, environmental impacts, high costs, and inefficiency of conventional energy storage technologies...

Low carbon hydrogen (whether based on renewable or nuclear electricity, or fossil fuels with carbon capture) is a means to decarbonise sectors of the economy which are hard to electrify. Its business model is heavily dependent on government intervention (e.g. mandatory targets, subsidies,...

Industrial trade unions in Europe and North America often struggle to develop a coherent strategy on climate change and overcoming fossil fuel production patterns. Trade union policy in the German steel industry is an interesting example of this: the "green" restructuring is firmly in favour, as...

On 11 April 2024 the European Parliament adopted the Renewable and Natural Gases and Hydrogen (RNGH) Directive and the RNGH Regulation – otherwise known as the Decarbonised Gas and Hydrogen Package – and published both documents on 12 April 2024. Once approved by the Council and published in...

Contracts for Difference (“CfDs”), previously mainly known as financial hedging instruments, are increasingly seen as the method of choice for incentivising investment in clean energy technologies. In the power sector, the CfD mechanism has emerged as the preferred arrangement to provide the...

This paper examines the viability of green ammonia (NH3) as a marine fuel in the transition to decarbonized shipping. While there is no singular solution for achieving decarbonization, there is increasing recognition on the pivotal role of green ammonia in decarbonizing the shipping sector. The...

Hydrogen produced with minimal or no carbon emissions is often expected to become an important tool for meeting climate objectives and decarbonising national economies that currently mostly rely on fossil fuels. Despite initial expectations, it seems unlikely that clean hydrogen will be used by...

In 2020, the Chinese coal chemical industry processed nearly one quarter of national coal throughput, and accounted for about 5.4 per cent of national CO2 emissions. Yet the coal chemicals’ industry ability to limit oil and gas imports is appealing to the Chinese leadership in the context of...

Hydrogen production from agricultural waste is a potentially established industry in Indonesia, and the government aims to introduce innovative technologies to produce hydrogen. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of hydrogen production from agricultural waste using three different...

Low carbon hydrogen (whether based on renewable or nuclear electricity, or fossil fuels with carbon capture) is a means to decarbonise sectors of the economy which are hard to electrify. Its business model is heavily dependent on government intervention (e.g. mandatory targets, subsidies,...

This paper compares the potential of three countries Morocco, Chile, and Australia to export green hydrogen to the European Union (EU). The three countries are ranked relative to each other based on ten indicators: • The estimated levelized cost of green hydrogen delivery over time • The...

As the power sector is the largest GHG emitter, it is important to investigate the fuels used in this sector. In 2023, coal was the primary source of electricity supply, accounting for 35.9%. Natural gas came in second, representing 23%. Asia has the largest number of coal plants in operation,...

The iron/steel industry is one of the highest emitting sectors, contributing 7-9% of overall global emissions. As population and economic growth will demand more steel as a key building block of society, the need to decarbonize the sector is critical. This paper assesses the financing...

This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the historical evolution and the current state of the aviation industry, with a particular emphasis on the critical need for this sector to decarbonize. It delves into emerging propulsion technologies such as battery electric and hydrogen-based...

This policy brief addresses the critical issue of phasing out diesel subsidies in Colombia and underscores the urgent need for coordinated action and strategic planning. The Colombian government views the sub­sidy phase-out as part of its energy transition strategy, proposing investments in...

Germany's current government is planning to realign its energy transition. Against this backdrop, this report provides an overview of current developments in key technologies and indicators for flexibility in the electricity sector. For photovoltaics, growth appears to be leveling off,...

Germany's current government is planning to realign its energy transition. Against this backdrop, this report provides an overview of current developments in key technologies and indicators for flexibility in the electricity sector. For photovoltaics, growth appears to be leveling off,...

Steelmaking is one of the two largest industrial contributors to climate change, accounting for 7-9% of global CO2 emissions. To achieve drastic emission reduction in the steel sector, integrating breakthrough low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology and...

Hydrogen’s production versatility, coupled with its potential as an energy vector, positions it as a potentially important fuel for the future. It can be sourced in many different ways, and has the ability to meet many applications, both in existing and future technology, and this means that...

The UK government's plans to decarbonise residential heating will mean major changes to the energy system whatever the specific technology pathway chosen, driving a range of impacts on users and suppliers. We use an energy system model (UK TIMES) to identify the potential energy system impacts...

This paper uses a whole-system approach to examine different strategies related to the future role of the gas grid in a low-carbon heat system. A novel model of integrated gas, electricity and heat systems, HEGIT, is used to investigate four key sets of scenarios for the future of the gas grid...

The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies started researching the role of hydrogen in the energy transition in 2020. Since then the interest in hydrogen has continued to grow globally across the energy industry. A key research question has been the extent to which clean hydrogen can be scaled up...

The transition to a hydrogen-based economy is gaining momentum in both Germany and the European Union (EU). Used as an energy carrier, hydrogen holds the promise of freeing hard-to-decarbonise sectors like heavy industry, aviation, and maritime trade from their emissions. At the same time,...