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Hari discusses his role and involvement with regards to the hydrogen economy, industry challenges, what he is looking forward to at the event and why it is important for engineers to attend.
Q: Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to the hydrogen economy and this conference?
Hari Vamadevan (HV): DNV is working right across the whole hydrogen value chain from strategy, production, transport, storage, end use and PTX. We take a whole systems approach to decarbonising the energy system and hydrogen has a critical role to play in achieving the UK’s 2050 net zero emissions target. At our remote test site in Cumbria, we are undertaking fundamental research into hydrogen properties and safety by running full-scale tests on clients’ assets such as pipelines, compressors, domestic environment and the impact of hydrogen ignition and detonation. DNV is working with HSE and DESNZ on whether hydrogen is suitable for domestic heating.
Q: What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for utilising hydrogen in your sector?
HV: The biggest roadblock is encouraging first movers to invest in hydrogen before the whole value chain is established. Producers need certainty that end users are hydrogen ready. End users need to be confident that the hydrogen supply is secure. And both producers and end users need to know the transportation infrastructure is in place. Security of supply depends on renewable power production (if the hydrogen is green), the availability of natural gas with CCS (if the hydrogen is blue) and hydrogen storage to keep demand and supply in balance. Another important roadblock is public opinion – this is where engineers need to engage their softer skills to deliver the energy transition. As engineers, we need to communicate better and contribute in a balanced way to the debate about net zero and the need for change.
Q: What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
HV: I am excited to explore the role of hydrogen in the whole energy system. At DNV, we produce our annual Energy Transition Outlook which is our independent view of the “most likely” energy future based on our in-house model of the global energy system through to 2050. Apart from predicting that the world is going to miss the 2°C global warming target set in Paris, our outlook tells us that balancing the traditional energy trilemma is more important than ever but there are new factors in play. We still need energy security, so we must balance electrons from intermittent renewable power generation with the low-carbon molecules such as hydrogen. And we also need to make the energy transition affordable and be able to demonstrate that the whole energy chain is truly low carbon, not just at the point of use.
Q: Regarding the utilisation of hydrogen, what would you say are the technologies or applications to watch for the future?
HV: Widespread utilisation of hydrogen can only happen in a regulated market environment with producers and users physically connected by pipelines. The gas networks currently move natural gas nationwide and link producers and end users including industry, power generators, storage operators and domestic heating. The potential conversion of the gas networks to hydrogen would be a significant step forward in providing flexibility and security for all hydrogen end users whether they be industrial, transport, power generation or domestic.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
HV: I am interested to hear about decarbonising the hard to abate sectors such as aviation and the role of e-fuels. Domestic heating is another huge challenge where hydrogen may a role to play. Hydrogen derivatives such as green ammonia will be important for international trade and marine applications. Underpinning everything will be certification and standards but these need to be internationally agreed. Last, but not least, is hydrogen safety – hydrogen is just another gas, but we need to fully understand how it differs from natural gas and the mitigations required to make it safe.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
HV: The energy transition has got to be one of the most exciting engineering challenges around. It is a complex subject with multiple potential solutions and several of these solutions involve hydrogen. Engineers need to apply their traditional expertise and skills in new ways whilst being mindful of the unique properties of hydrogen.
The Engineering Challenges in the Hydrogen Economy 2024 conference will be taking place on 6-7 March at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.
Join this conference to:
- Hear case studies from mature projects addressing infrastructure challenges for production, storage and distribution
- Identify bottlenecks and barriers in moving to a hydrogen economy
- Develop your understanding of the utilisation across different engineering sectors including rail, heavy-duty, aerospace, power generation, marine and more
- Hear from leading experts in the field and explore opportunities to collaborate on new projects
- Gain insight into gaps in the market and requirements for new technologies
- Take away lessons learned from other innovative companies to ensure optimal development strategies
- Understand how your existing equipment or products can be deployed in the new hydrogen economy
To book your place, please visit the event website.