Hydrogen's contribution to the energy transition

Direct consumption of electricity from renewable sources is not the only solution to reduce the environmental impact of energy production and transport. Hydrogen is now a viable solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in "hard-to-abate" fields such as transport and heavy industry, explained to RSI Alessandra Motz, a researcher at the Institute for Economic Research (IRE) of Università della Svizzera italiana.  

Green hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen produced by electrolysis using renewable energy sources, can be used in areas where it is difficult to rely solely on electricity: these 'difficult to decarbonise' fields include heavy or long-distance road transport, shipping and aviation, along with some other industrial sectors. Hydrogen also allows electricity to be stored for the medium term: "Switzerland has a surplus of energy during the summer but lacks some during the winter. Hydrogen can help with storage sites and can also be an efficient way to transport renewable electricity over long distances." 

Read the article "Idrogeno o elettrico? Meglio insieme" (Italian only)