Hydrogen Production for Energy Use in European Union Countries and Turkey

Abstract

World-wide energy demand will continue to increase in the next years and Europe still has very limited home-grown resources. The European Union currently imports 50% of its demand for oil, and, if nothing is done, this figure will rise to 70% in 20–30 years time. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies could form an integral part of future sustainable energy systems. This will contribute to improving Europe's energy security and air quality, while lessening climate change. The European Union prefers to use renewables, mainly hydrogen rather than fossil fuels, because of decreasing supply of fossil fuels and increasing demand for using renewable energy sources, especially hydrogen. Hydrogen is a clean energy vector. It can be produced from a wide variety of primary energy sources. It is possible to decarbonize fossil fuels by carbon capture, allowing for the production of hydrogen from these traditional fuels with negligible carbon emissions. But, more importantly, hydrogen produced through a range of renewable primary energy sources such as wind, biomass, and solar energy is ideal for gradually replacing fossil fuels. Some hydrogen platforms can introduce a coherent European Union strategy in order to develop the use of hydrogen and hydrogen production technologies while gaining worldwide leadership.