Various options exist for decarbonizing dispatchable power plants. Low-carbon (blue) hydrogen and natural gas combustion with on-site carbon capture and storage (CCS) can lead to lower electricity production costs than renewable (green) hydrogen, depending on full-load hours and cost scenarios. On the other hand, domestically produced renewable hydrogen reduces dependence on energy imports. It is also climate-neutral, whereas the other two fuel options still produce residual emissions. A complete comparison of the options, including infrastructure requirements, can therefore only be made by considering the overall system.
In the research report “Decarbonization options for dispatchable power plants” by the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI), Michaele Diehl, Dr.-Ing. Ann-Kathrin Klaas (project manager), and Philipp Theile analyze various technical, economic, and regulatory aspects of the fuel options renewable hydrogen, low-carbon hydrogen, and natural gas with CCS. The analysis was funded by the Hydrogen and Molecules Funding Initiative of the Society for the Promotion of the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne.
