- Household-Level Hydrogen Utilization: Costs Prohibitively High
Hannover's local energy provider, Enercity, has dashed expectations in the area about utilizing hydrogen as a substitute for gas in private households. According to Enercity board member Marc Hansmann, speaking at the committee for regional planning, as reported by the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" (Thursday), hydrogen will soon become a rare and costly commodity. Key concerns are supply stability and affordability.
Going forward, Enercity plans to mainly focus on district heating and heat pumps, Hansmann declared, with a substantial 900 million euros set aside for investing in renewable energy sources. Serving approximately 700,000 people in Hannover and its nearby regions, Enercity provides electricity, natural gas, district heating, drinking water, and energy services.
Hansmann argued that hydrogen only makes sense financially in specific scenarios, like large-scale industrial operations requiring high temperatures. Although Enercity intends to transform the Gaskraftwerk Linden into a hydrogen facility by 2035, it will operate primarily as a backup power plant.
In light of the predicted rise in hydrogen costs, Budgetary considerations are increasingly important for Enercity's energy strategies. Therefore, the focus of Enercity's future plans primarily lies in district heating and heat pumps, with substantial budget allocated for renewable energy sources.
