The European Commission is about to set new rules on how to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from hydrogen production, defining what can be classified as ‘low-carbon’. What methods and definitions are the most accurate, and how can they be integrated into EU law? Find out in our blog.
Alongside five other NGOs, ECOS calls on the European Commission to strengthen the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Delegated Act by revising the proposed methane default value, updating the global warming potential factor for methane, and using the best available independent methane emissions data.
With hydrogen high on the political agenda, hydrogen producers are under pressure to measure and report on their environmental impacts. How can they do so effectively? And more importantly: how can they use this knowledge to reduce emissions? Calculators have limits — ambition must be added separately for the numbers to have any use.
Plans to fuel European homes with hydrogen suffered a further blow today as the first published lab tests reveal that leaks rise sharply when hydrogen is added to regular household fossil gas.
Home gas leaks more than doubled, on average, when best-selling models of cooking hobs were supplied with hydrogen blended with fossil gas under normal household conditions, compared to tests using fossil gas only. The same test on household boilers saw leaks rise by an average of 20%. Have we finally reached the end of the road for the hype of hydrogen in our homes? Read on to find out why hydrogen for domestic use is a dead end.
Joint letter, signed by ECOS, to European Commission Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson. Industry, environmental NGOs and think tanks come together to call on policymakers to adopt a robust definition for low-carbon hydrogen in the upcoming delegated act (DA) pursuant to article 8 of the Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Market Directive.
Home gas leaks more than doubled, on average, when best-selling models of cooking hobs were supplied with hydrogen blended with fossil gas under normal household conditions, compared to tests using fossil gas only. The same test on household boilers saw leaks rise by an average of 20%. Have we finally reached the end of the road for the hype of hydrogen in our homes? Read on to find out why hydrogen for domestic use is a dead end.
Phasing out archaic fossil heating systems in favour of cleaner options is a must in Europe’s quest to cut energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. But only one year on from REPowerEU, European lawmakers risk backpedalling on their commitments to a fossil-free future in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and ecodesign rules for space and water heaters.
The research is crystal clear: hydrogen should not be used to heat homes. It is time for us to leave behind the hype of hydrogen and focus on other more realistic – and immediately available – solutions that are both climate- and consumer-friendly. Find out more in our new report!
Hydrogen is not a silver bullet in the fight against climate change. It can only play a role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors if it does not contribute to climate change. We can make this happen by enforcing strong definitions and the appropriate chain of custody models for hydrogen.
ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
