OIES Podcast – New regulation for the transition from natural gas to hydrogen in Europe

Podcasts - Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

In this latest OIES podcast, which is a combined presentation from the Gas and Energy Transition programmes, James Henderson talks to Katja Yafimava and Jonathan Stern about the implications of the latest EU regulation on decarbonising the region’s gas system which aims to manage the shift towards hydrogen and away from natural gas. They discuss the overall goals of the latest decarbonised gas and hydrogen package and consider what it means for security of gas supply in Europe. They consider the levels of flexibility that it offers, given the uncertainty about future levels of hydrogen demand and the timescale on which they may be achieved, and also look at the questions of financing and co-ordination of the shift from the supply of one gaseous fuel to another. They also ask whether the new legislation really addresses some of the key issues concerning hydrogen in Europe, in particular whether it actually encourages the rapid development of a hydrogen market. They conclude that although the new rules are a good first step in the process, the regulation may well need to be adapted in the light of real-world practicalities.