Green hydrogen from a socio-economic perspective

There is a potential for large-scale use of hydrogen in Sweden. This hydrogen can be produced and distributed in various ways, such as through self-production by users adjacent to industrial plants, or by building gas infrastructure. Depending on how and where hydrogen is produced and how it is integrated with other infrastructure in society, the socio-economic outcomes of the investments will vary. In this project, one of the main research questions is to assess under which conditions it is more advantageous to build gas pipelines rather than expand the electricity grid.

The focus of this project is the value chains for electrofuels (methanol) and fossil-free steel. For these value chains, relevant factors that can be influenced by the type of hydrogen production and distribution will be identified. For example, the importance of access to oxygen and the use of excess heat from an overall system perspective, as well as potential socio-economic consequences, will be considered

The questions to be answered in this project include: How is hydrogen most optimally produced, stored, and transported in relation to its use, considering electricity, gas, and other infrastructure? How are these aspects affected by the value chain in which the hydrogen is to be used? Can different configurations of a value chain and its integration possibilities influence the choice of location and whether it is most advantageous to use the electricity grid or the hydrogen network for energy transmission?