One of the most promising solutions to mitgigate the climate change is the production and application of green hydrogen in the energy sector. Green hydrogen is so called because it is produced from renewable energy sources, such as electricity from the sun and wind, and emits no carbon dioxide (CO2).
As electricity generation from renewable sources grows, surplus energy will build up in electricity grids because electricity cannot be wired or stored - it must be used immediately. Hydrogen is the solution to the problem of green electricity storage. By converting surplus electricity into green hydrogen, it can be fed into the gas transmission system, stored in pipelines, and if needed, can be used to generate clean electricity or heat again, as a fuel for transport or as a raw material for a wide range of industrial applications.
Hydrogen can be transported through the gas system (both transmission and distribution), as a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen, or by converting the gas system to transport pure hydrogen. Gas transmission system operators across Europe and other continents are upgrading their infrastructure to allow hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas to flow through pipelines.
We plan that over the next ten years, we will also adapt our gas transmission system to the new energy, so that Lithuania's pipelines will carry not only natural gas but also hydrogen. We are currently examining what gas system modifications would be needed to transport hydrogen. We are studying the conditions for mixing hydrogen with natural gas and the behaviour of such a mixture in a pipeline. We are looking at how much hydrogen could be part of the total gas flow, and what the impact of a hydrogen-gas mix would be on the gas system as a whole - both transmission and distribution. Also very important is the economic need, calculating how much hydrogen will be consumed in the coming periods.
