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clean energy

could play a role providing support for the trucks serving the ports and power other ne-
private sector by reducing the risks of early arby industrial facilities like steel plants.
investments in emerging hydrogen projects,
such as by introducing loans and risk guaran- • Existing gas infrastructure: Another area of
tees. great opportunity is to build the supply chains
4. Promote R&D, demonstration projects and for hydrogen on existing infrastructure. Some
knowledge-sharing. Governments need to 3 million km of natural gas transmission pipe-
continue playing a central role in setting the line are in operation around the world today,
research agenda for early stage high-risk and even greater lengths of distribution pipeli-
projects, taking early-stage risks and crowding ne. Introducing clean hydrogen to replace just
in private investment in projects. Enhanced 5% of the volume of countries’ natural gas
collaboration is another promising area that supplies would significantly boost global de-
could push hydrogen forward. mand for hydrogen and drive down costs.
5. Harmonise standards and remove barriers.
Governments should remove unnecessary re- • Fleet, freight and corridors: The transport sec-
gulatory barriers and establish common stan- tor is overwhelmingly dependent on oil today.
dards that facilitate trade and ensure safety for As the world transitions to alternative transport
all the elements in the value chain. fuels, low-carbon hydrogen has a role to play
in contributing to fuel security and diversifica-
To avoid following the path of previous hydrogen tion while reducing pollution. Governments
hypes, the IEA has identified four major opportu- can support this transition through actively
nity areas that could build a 2030 springboard for supporting fuel cell vehicle manufacturing and
hydrogen to fulfil its longer-term potential: use, to make fuel cell vehicles more compe-
titive.

• Make coastal industrial clusters the nerve • The first shipping routes: Shipping hydrogen
centres of clean hydrogen production and between countries could emerge as a key ele-
use: Clusters of industrial activity offer a ma- ment of a future secure, resilient, competitive
jor opportunity for ramping up the deployment and sustainable energy system. Investment
of low-carbon hydrogen. Today, much of the in infrastructure, ships, standards and supply
refining and chemicals production that uses chain companies will have the most impact if
hydrogen based on fossil fuels is already con- located in regions with the greatest potential
centrated in coastal industrial zones around for hydrogen imports and exports. They are
the world, such as the North Sea in Europe, unlikely to happen on a large scale without
the Gulf Coast in North America and southe- multilateral co-operation between interested
astern China. Encouraging these plants to governments. Lessons from the successful
shift to cleaner hydrogen production would growth of the global LNG market can be le-
drive down overall costs. These large sources veraged.
of hydrogen supply can also fuel ships and

50 50 Impiantistica Italiana - Gennaio-Febbraio 2020