Energy transition and green energy: the struggle for climate and for a new redivision of the world—and the proposal for a balanced Russia–EU solution

Abstract

ABSTRACT The author argues that current energy transition is the seventh one in the long-term history of the mankind though different from the previous ones. He explains why Paris Agreement (the ‘no return point’ for current energy transition) has grown from the 1970s. He explains the role of hydrogen in current energy transition and three different paths for H2 production: water electrolysis; methane steam reforming with CO2 emissions and CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS); methane pyrolysis and similar technologies without CO2 emissions. He demonstrates their competitive advantages and disadvantages. He describes European Union (EU) vision of cooperation in H2 within EU hydrogen strategy and H2 section of Russian Energy Strategy. He argues why cooperation based on Russian gas supplies to the EU and H2 production in EU at end-use in ‘EU H2 valleys’ based on mostly pyrolysis technologies without CO2 emissions is the mutually beneficial one for both Russia and the EU: for the EU it helps to decrease low-carbon development costs and for Russia to further monetize its vast gas resources within export-oriented decarbonization. He presents his ‘win-win’ scenario for Russia–EU hydrogen cooperation.