Industry News
Managing Renewable Intermittency with Hydrogen: A UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association report
Posted 31st January 2012
The UK is expected to face a 23% shortfall in energy supply at peak periods by 2015, with the deficit growing top 31.5% by 2020. The cost to the UK economy of unplanned power cuts caused by the energy shortage could reach £192bn, which would have a major impact on the economic recovery and global competitiveness.
The UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (UK HFCA) has stated that hydrogen represents an excellent energy storage opportunity, acting as both a short and long-term energy store to balance supply and demand at different scales, geographies and in various weather conditions.
The full report, which can be read online here, details how hydrogen is a cost‐effective and technically proven energy storage solution to address intermittency in generation for wind, PV and marine renewable, address variation in demand and distribute energy between sectors.
The report notes that hydrogen energy storage is:
• A near term commercial opportunity for the UK that will assist in integrating greater amount of renewables within the UK electricity system therefore enabling the UK to meet its ambitious renewable targets and fill in the supply and demand gap
• An optimal clean pathway to smart grid stabilization
• Proven and has been utilised for a number of years in a number of locations, including: Shetland Islands, Utsira Island, Greenland, supplying a greater percentage of the community’s overall power requirements with improved stability and reliability.
Source: Fuel Cell Works
