The power industry is experiencing radical change, even more so following the sudden unleashing of the latest social and geopolitical factors (pandemics, war, inflation...). Thankfully, our reaction to these events has been to strive even harder to reduce the emission of pollutants; both emissions that are harmful to health (NOx, SOx, CO, particulates) and those that cause global warming (CO2, CH4, NOx and CO).
Together with electric vehicles, renewable sources of power are two of the realities that we are all perceiving in our day-to-day lives and which, this time, seem to be unstoppable due to the factors mentioned above. Hydrogen has been the latest to enter this power transition process and there is a clear commitment to the development of an infrastructure that will enable its expansion and consolidation.
Renewable sources of power, the sun, wind, and electric cars have facilitated a degree of widespread generation and electrification that was unthinkable until recently. And this story would have a happy ending in 10 to 15 years' time if advances in power storage were commensurate.
But many say that this is not yet the case and that in the short-term sufficient storage will not be available at a reasonable price. Hence, gas and nuclear power are becoming a key element on this game board, on this road to net zero by 2050.
And they will be for many years to come until power storage makes it possible to manage these renewable power sources, or until hydrogen production can cover our power needs to the maximum.
Moreover, they will not become redundant with the arrival of hydrogen, rather they will coexist for many years in a power mix in which each source will have a specific role to play.
NOx. So-called nitrogen oxides include both nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Of the two, the latter is the primary chemical form that has adverse health effects; furthermore, NO is easily oxidised, rapidly giving rise to NO2 once it is present in the atmosphere.
SO2. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is regulated due to its potential effect on health and ecosystems. This pollutant can have adverse effects on health, biodiversity, land and both aquatic and forest ecosystems, even at great distances from the source.
CO. CO enters the body through the lungs and can lead to a decrease in the blood's capacity to carry oxygen. It also has an impact on climate, as it contributes to the formation of greenhouse gases.
Particulates. These are the most important air pollutants in terms of danger to human health. Ultra-fine airborne particles can affect plant growth, fauna, influence net temperature changes and even alter rainfall patterns
And in this context, the European Parliament has recently approved the taxonomy of nuclear and gas as ‘green’, in other words, they are sustainable sources of power, given that it is considered that renewable sources are not currently able to produce all the electricity that countries and economies need on a daily basis. This decision by the EU therefore makes it possible to further accelerate decarbonisation with the support of sources that generate lower emissions, such as gas, and that complement renewable sources whenever the latter present certain limitations.
And this reality of complementarity is a constant reality. At present, whenever renewables are unable to meet a given level of demand, when the electric system does not have enough power, or also even in those
sectors where the use of renewable power is impractical, power generation has to be provided by generator sets.
“In the short term, the renewable electric system, whether distributed or not, is unlikely to be able to power all these EVs, electrical machinery, aero-thermal systems and so on, without the much needed back-up power generation that a generator set can provide. And when the grids fails to provide sufficient power, if you are to maintain voltage and frequency, you also need to have the capacity to generate power with a fast response time. And that is one of the applications where natural gas generation is most needed, whether small capacity plants (stand-alone or hybridised with batteries) or combined cycle,” cautions Manuel Aguilera, Global Gas Unit Head at HIMOINSA.
The challenge of generating large storage plants without a large outlay is a reality. Many articles have discussed the exorbitant price of charging the world with 100% renewable power, a scenario that many describe as ‘economically infeasible - and that is even before we take the limited durability of batteries into account. Certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, have been very clear about this for years now, and are committed to distributed natural gas generation plants, the latest version being hybridized with batteries.
Moreover, plants with this type of capacity do not usually work more than 1,500 hours per year (out of a total of 8,760 hours) precisely because they are there as backup for renewables and, in addition to being low-carbon, their use is low but decisive.
2 Gas is an excellent alternative to the problems and concerns voiced by the rental sector following the arrival of Stage V technology, which is intended to reduce emissions of diesel units, in compliance with EU Regulation 2016/1628 for non-road mobile machinery. That is why diesel generator sets incorporate new after-treatment systems that on the one hand represent a change in the way the equipment is used and, on the other, give rise to a degree of uncertainty among rental companies, as it is considered a more sophisticated system. In this respect, gas generator sets, with their consolidated technology, already incorporate a simple three-way catalytic converter that eliminates 90% of CO, NOx, SOx, and particle emissions and 20% of CO2 and noise emissions. Their use does not, therefore, imply a change of equipment as far as the manufacturers are concerned, or a change in the way the equipment is used, as far as the user is concerned, while at the same time guaranteeing compliance with European regulations on emissions.
There is no one fuel or power source that can single-handedly bring us closer to a CO2-neutral world by 2050. The commitment to Natural Gas, LPG, and biogas is good news. We will urgently cut 20% of CO2 emissions in the power generation sector - where the deployment of renewables will take time and pose certain constraints - and thus contribute to drastic emission reductions.
Most importantly, we will be laying the foundations and the common infrastructures for the future distribution of precious hydrogen and other renewable gases such as biomethane. When it is available in sufficient quantity and once it is injected into the natural gas distribution grids, every system that is connected to the gas grid will progressively move towards using a renewable, zero-emission source. But without a doubt, the first step is to continue to promote and invest in gas-fired power generation systems and to promote the storage, distribution, and use of gas, regardless of whether it is LPG or LNG. This will help to build an infrastructure from which hydrogen will later benefit.
And once hydrogen has arrived, for years to come thereafter, we will continue to witness the coexistence of hydrogen with batteries, gas and diesel generator sets, renewables, hybridization...
