Using Morocco as an example, the study shows how national energy resources can be used strategically: they drive forward the country's own energy transition, supply the population with affordable and clean electricity, and at the same time create economic prospects through the export of green hydrogen. It is crucial that hydrogen production is coordinated with periods of high renewable energy supply. This is the case, for example, during sunny hours of the day or when there is strong wind. During such phases, green hydrogen can be produced in a particularly efficient and climate-friendly manner.
Leon Schumm and Prof. Dr. Michael Sterner from the Research Centre for Energy Networks and Energy Storage (FENES) at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology were involved in the work. The research was carried out at OTH Regensburg in cooperation with the Technical University of Berlin, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Fraunhofer IEG and universities in Edinburgh and Pisa.
‘A key to global climate justice’
"Green hydrogen must not be a privilege of the global North. Our research shows how exporting countries, and in particular their populations, can be fairly compensated while contributing to the global energy transition. With the right regulation, a fair balance can be struck between international trade and local energy supply – a key to global climate justice,‘ says Leon Schumm, lead author of the study and project manager of the ’H2Global meets Africa" project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The study is also an example of transparent science: the modelling is based on the open-source model PyPSA-Earth, which integrates electricity, hydrogen, transport, industry and heat. A total of 264 scenarios were optimised to analyse different combinations of climate protection, export volumes and hydrogen regulations. The model is publicly available and has been further developed through international contributions. The open-source approach has significantly accelerated research.
Stabilising electricity prices and reducing emissions
The results provide concrete recommendations for policy and planning. They show how temporal rules for hydrogen production can help reduce emissions, stabilise electricity prices and increase the acceptance of hydrogen projects. The study thus provides important impetus for investment and political decisions. The findings are relevant not only for Morocco, but also for other potential hydrogen exporting countries worldwide. They are already being incorporated into further research projects on hydrogen strategy in Africa and the integration of hydrogen into energy systems.
The journal Nature Communications, in which the study was published, is one of the world's leading journals for natural and engineering science research. The publication underlines the international visibility and scientific excellence of OTH Regensburg.
The publication in English is freely available here.
