By Grard Kreeft
Outlining the Vision
In 2020 the Global Energy Village will be celebrating it’s 20th anniversary. We enjoy the institutional support from GIE (Gas Infrastructure Europe) and IGU (International Gas Union). What started in Paris as a gas storage event focusing on the storage operators has now evolved to become an institutional strategic link. Hydrogen storage. The strategic missing piece in the renewable energy and energy transition debate. Battery storage can provide some relief but the huge capacity of the gas storages are in essence the key strategic links in any discussion regarding energy transition.
The Global Energy Village has viewed the gas market unbundling, the evolvement of the storage market, the optimism of gas buyers and sellers, and the pessimism that has clouded the market for the last 5-7 years . Reactions have been mixed. Some storage operators are waiting for a better day; others are beginning to shut their storages down; and still others are merging their activities.
One bright note has been the power-to gas transition: first the discussion of whether the gas networks could tolerate a minimal mixture of hydrogen (H2). This discussion has evolved to new visions . Not whether natural gas networks can tolerate a minimum amount of H2 but how in the next 25 years the natural gas networks can be converted to H2 networks. Witness H21 in Leeds and the plans of Gasunie in the Netherlands. This is the vision.
The technical implementation and roll-out to a critical public are the next vital steps. Technically we are fast approaching acceptance from the energy community. RAG’s Sun Project has demonstrated that hydrogen storage will happen! Further evidence is being shown by the field trials now being carried out by Gasunie. And of course the Leeds H21 project.
The Rollout
The next phase will be the rollout to the Storage Community, both in Europe and Asia. Given its long track record, my consulting company, EnergyWise, can play a serious role. Our staging area is Leeds. In 2019 and again in 2020. Parallel to the European Global Energy Village GEV) we will be also launching a GEV in Japan to coincide with the Japanese 2020 Summer Olympics. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMC) seeks to promote hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) and use the Olympic Games as a springboard.
Japan’s goal is that by 2030, it will reduce its CO2 emissions 26% below 2013 levels. In 2014 the Japanese Government unveiled its strategic Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Roadmap.
At the last three Global Energy Village venues Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has presented and updated us on its Green (Hydrogen) Value Chain. The project is focused on the mass production of H2 utilizing brown coal imported from Australia. The value chain uses similar patterns adopted for Japan’s LNG imports. A long lead time and a project with a long-term perspective (25 years plus). We hope to build on these experiences for our Japanese Global Energy Village.
Phasing
April – November 2019 Marketing and Drafting Programme
Advisory Committee Meetings Europe & Japan
Note: We are looking for industry champions who see this as an opportunity to expand their energy horizons!
December- March 2020 Finalization Programme
Advisory Committee Meetings Europe & Japan
April 2020 Global Energy Village 2020 Summit
September/October 2020 Global Energy Village Summit
Gerard Kreeft, MA (Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is founder and owner of EnergyWise. The company has since 2001 managed and implemented the Global Energy Village in various European venues. The company has worked throughout the globe: Angola, Brazil, Canada, India, Kazakhstan, Libya and Russia implementing oil and gas conferences, seminars and master classes
