Hydrogen energy storage in the urban environment

In order to cope with climate change, renewable energy sources are added to the energy grid to replace fossil fuels and minimize greenhouse gasses. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) have a weather-dependent electricity supply that often doesn’t meet with the electricity demand. This occurs on daily bases, as well as on seasonal bases between summer (surplus of supply by RES) and winter (shortage on the supply of RES). In order to balance the grid solutions are needed. Energy storage is one of the options. There are many different mediums that can store energy. For seasonal storage, a medium is needed that has a low discharge time. Hydrogen is such a medium that offers the opportunity to balance the energy grid.

Based on stakeholder analysis, three different professional groups are seen as experts, namely experts in the energy network, authority, and counselors. Between these professional groups are differences that are identified with a Mendelow power interest grid. Each profession group has a weight in relation to the power-interest level. The obstacle group ‘public acceptance’ is recognized by the experts as the largest.Second is the ‘economy’. These should be dealt with first to accommodate hydrogen energy storage.

It is recommended to create a strategic plan to eliminate the falsely perceived negative image of hydrogen. Two of the possible thing that should be addressed is the familiarization of hydrogen and the elaboration of the environmental benefits of
hydrogen.