Developing a “green” hydrogen industry could create up to 50,000 new jobs, if Government produces a suitable strategy for the fuel, one expert says.
Many European Union states have published strategies for developing green hydrogen, which can be used for heavy transport, to power industry, large-scale heating and to generate electricity.
Dr James Carton, assistant professor of sustainable energy at Dublin City University, warned at the weekend that the Republic could miss an opportunity if the Government did not publish its strategy quickly.
He noted that a green hydrogen industry could provide work for five times the number of people likely to be employed in wind power. Industry estimates put wind energy’s job-creating potential at 10,000.
"Ireland is one of the only EU countries that does not have a hydrogen strategy, we have no policy to regulate it or support it," Dr Carton said.
He added that a strategy document should be straightforward, but was important to encouraging investment in research and development of the fuel.
The Government is understood to be planning to publish its strategy later this year.
Hydrogen is made by applying an electric charge to water, separating hydrogen from oxygen. To qualify as “green” the electricity must come from renewable sources.
Burning hydrogen recombines the gas with oxygen to produce water vapour, so it produces little or no greenhouse gas.
The EU has pledged to support the development of the fuel, which is even seen as a possible replacement for kerosene in aviation, with €150 billion over the coming decades.
Dr Carton explained that wind farms with no connection to the national electricity grid, or whose power is not needed, could be used to produce hydrogen.
He noted that one group, Mercury Renewables, is already pressing ahead with plans to build a wind-powered green hydrogen plant in Firlough, Co Mayo.
Mercury calculates that the project will need an investment of €200 million and create 20 full-time jobs when it is completed in early 2025.
Dr Carton argued that this showed there was potential for other similar investments around Ireland.
He said Ireland’s wind resources could be harnessed to produce enough hydrogen to export the gas, and help replace almost €5 billion of fuel imports.
