Energetica India Magazine May-June 2021

37 energetica INDIA- May-June_2021 HYDROGEN cially as its cost reduces, would automatically make them more sustainable without needing to change one of their core raw materials. Powering the Future Green hydrogen will be critical for difficult-to-decarbonise in - dustries, like cement, steel and glass production. For heating and powering buildings and industry, hydrogen can make use of existing assets. In particular for buildings, low concentra- tions of green hydrogen could be blended into public natural gas networks without any infrastructure upgrades. Most renewables have low operating costs, meaning they have to be “always on” to be efficient, regardless of electricity de - mand. This means that wind turbine blades will keep turning, even if the grid doesn’t require their energy. In fact, many coun- tries experience days where electricity prices reach negative levels due to a surplus in the wind and solar supply. The surplus of renewable energy can be used to power elec- trolysis, which makes use of otherwise wasted renewable en- ergy and means that renewable operators can profit from the energy that would have been a loss. The infrastructure to build this hydrogen economy is already out there, although some investment into existing assets will still be required. Materials specialists will play a part in devel- oping hydrogen’s infrastructure, and Sandvik is already acting to support energy companies. Stainless steel alloy tubes, like those we can provide as part of our Mobile Services Solution, can be used to transport the hy- drogen from storage tanks to dispensers. The mobile service, which provides a full tubing solution in a container, is already helping one energy supplier to install several hydrogen sta- tions using a simpler, modular method. Hydrogen scepticism is understandable, especially when we consider our reliance on grey hydrogen. However, it’s import- ant to recognise that today’s hydrogen is not the hydrogen of the future. New investments and developments are constantly being made, and the steps taken towards hydrogen’s decar- bonisation today will certainly impact its green future.