Climate impacts of a hydrogen economy

Successful consortia should conduct all of the following activities:

• To provide a better knowledge in order to achieve deeper and more precise understanding of the overall mechanisms driving the hydrogen cycle and its future development under concentrations higher than historically observed (with a specific focus on hydrogen sink processes).
• Thorough analysis of the radiative forcing impacts of hydrogen, specifically by investigating the mechanistic interactions of hydrogen with tropospheric gases, in particular methane, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and the potential to increase atmospheric water vapour.
• Assessment of all of the following aspects:
  • Direct and indirect effects in the atmosphere and their environmental implications (e.g. on the ozone layer).
  • The potential of systems, technologies and markets associated with large-scale hydrogen deployment to alter atmospheric hydrogen concentrations.
  • The channels through which large-scale deployment of hydrogen could reduce global warming (e.g. by replacing fossil fuels or storing energy to balance intermittent sources of renewables).
  • The channels through which large-scale deployment of hydrogen could contribute to global warming (e.g. through leakages in the supply chain, efficiency of production and conversion processes, creation of a market for natural gas, decommissioning, displacement of other low carbon technologies).
  • Options for mitigating any global warming risks associated with hydrogen deployment (e.g. through leakage detection technologies).

Proposals are also invited to:

• Identify any significant non-climate co-benefits or side effects of hydrogen deployment (e.g. on air, soil and water quality, as well as water resource availability).
• Consider the extent to which the risks of climate impacts from hydrogen deployment vary between different uses (e.g. energy, industry, transport).
• Consider opportunities for mitigating such risks.
• Disseminate their findings to relevant stakeholders such as national public authorities and the European Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

Projects are encouraged to seek, during their lifetime, collaboration with possible complementary projects funded by the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking on determination of hydrogen releases from the H2 value chain.

When dealing with models, actions should promote the highest standards of transparency and openness, as much as possible going well beyond documentation and extending to aspects such as assumptions, code and data that is managed in compliance with the FAIR principles[[ FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)]]. In particular, beneficiaries are strongly encouraged to publish results data in open access databases and/or as annexes to publications. In addition, full openness of any new modules, models or tools developed from scratch or substantially improved with the use of EU funding is expected.