Fuelling the future with Hydrogen
Today, Australians recognise that renewable energy sources have a role to play in our future, whether it be for power generation, transportation, or heating and cooling our homes and businesses.
However, not everyone is aware of the benefits of hydrogen as a renewable (or “green”) energy source.
As a company with a global track record in this technology, Panasonic Australia believes that Green Hydrogen offers great potential for a nation of our size, environment and climate.
Read on to find out more about the promise that hydrogen offers for a sustainable future here in Australia.
What is Green Hydrogen?
Green hydrogen (also known as renewable hydrogen) is a 100% sustainable energy source with the potential to change how we power our world. It represents a versatile, clean, and efficient form of energy that holds immense promise in combating climate change and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Unlike conventional hydrogen production (which often relies on fossil fuels and emits greenhouse gases), green hydrogen is produced through a process called electrolysis, using renewable energy sources like wind or solar power.
Electrolysis involves splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. This electricity is sourced from renewable energy, ensuring that the entire production cycle of green hydrogen remains emission-free. This characteristic makes green hydrogen a key contributor to decarbonising various sectors that are traditionally difficult to electrify. Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology is used to convert renewable hydrogen back into electricity, with zero carbon emissions and water vapour as the only by-product.
Green hydrogen acts as an energy storage medium, addressing the intermittency challenge of renewable sources like solar and wind by storing excess energy generated during peak times and releasing it when needed.
Australia’s vast land area and ample sunshine provide us with natural advantages that can help us become key players in this space. Panasonic Australia believes that renewable hydrogen will play an essential role in our country’s journey towards net zero.
Harnessing our natural environment
Analysts from the European Commission estimate?that green hydrogen could meet 24 per cent of the world’s energy needs by 2050, although it will take significant research and development to meet these ambitious targets.
In Australia, green hydrogen can become central to our journey towards being carbon-neutral by 2050. Although the technology is in its infancy, many organisations are already experimenting and integrating hydrogen into their usual operations, including:
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Panasonic’s journey with hydrogen
Since Panasonic was founded more than 100 years ago, we have constantly searched for ways to improve the quality of people’s lives, through the innovation, creation and development of technologies. In recent years, this philosophy has evolved to consider how we can enrich the lives of future generations. The Panasonic GREEN IMPACT commitment outlines the significant contribution our company will make to global decarbonisation. By 2050, the goal is to reduce and avoid more than 300 million tonnes of CO??emissions—about one percent of current total global CO??emissions. Panasonic believes that green hydrogen will be an essential component in the journey towards net zero.
On a global scale, our colleagues in Japan began developing fuel cells specifically designed for electricity and water heating for residential settings in the Japanese market as early as 2009. Since then, Panasonic has achieved cumulative sales of over 200,000 units, positioning Panasonic as a global leader in Fuel Cell technology.
In Australia, we are trialling Panasonic’s stationary Hydrogen Fuel Cells in various regions around the country – together with partners Optimal Group and ATCO – to evaluate the performance of our technology under Australian conditions. ?
This technology will benefit Australian industries such as mining, which rely heavily on diesel fuel to power a range of machinery and vehicles. With the soaring cost of oil, and a mandate to reduce carbon emissions, hydrogen fuel cells will likely play an important role as a green energy source that also allows companies to meet looming regulatory changes.
Looking to the future
We consider Australia to be one of the first global markets that could develop a renewable hydrogen industry at scale, due to the nation’s natural advantages in terms of geography and our abundance of sunshine.
However, realising this potential depends on a number of factors. Infrastructure in production, storage, transport and utilisation must come together to create a steady and affordable flow of green hydrogen that is readily available for use in both commercial and industrial applications.
This requires the entire industry to be in lockstep so that we can harness the full potential of green hydrogen – making this form of energy more affordable and commercially viable.
The Federal Government’s National Hydrogen Strategy, released in February this year, is certainly a step in the right direction. Bringing government, industry and community together to fulfill a vision for a clean, innovative, safe and competitive hydrogen industry can place us amongst the very best on the world stage by 2030.
Collaborative efforts, technological advancements, and supportive policies will be crucial in accelerating the transition towards a hydrogen-based economy and achieving a more sustainable future.
Let’s remember that we’re not far off 2030. We all have a collective responsibility to reduce our nation’s carbon footprint, but we will only achieve this by making bold choices and challenging the status quo. ?
Green hydrogen stands as a beacon of innovation and a catalyst for a cleaner, greener energy landscape. It offers a “clean path” to mitigate climate change while fostering economic growth and energy security. Panasonic is excited to take on this challenge and join this important journey.