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Markets and regulations

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Regulating the future hydrogen trade in the EU: WTO law considerations (M. Wüstenberg 2023) (WP1)

To develop the hydrogen economy, national regulatory frameworks for the hydrogen economy are emerging in many parts of the world, including the European Union. The focus of this contribution is on the interaction of the emerging EU hydrogen policies and regulations with the rules of the WTO.

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Adapting international natural gas and LNG agreements in the light of the energy transition (K. Talus 2023) (WP1)

This article will examine the bidirectional relationship between private energy contracts and the transition towards a net-zero world. It will focus on long-term take-or-pay natural gas and LNG sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) that are common in the natural gas sector. 

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Investor sentiment towards hydrogen economy (J. Räisänen 2023) (WP1)

This thesis provides an overview of investor sentiment towards hydrogen economy, a topic that has very limited previous research. The sentiments of retail investors from Finland, Australia and the US towards aspects related to hydrogen, the hydrogen economy and investing in hydrogen are analysed. The second group of investors considered consists of companies that have invested or are planning to invest in green hydrogen projects in Finland. 

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Markets and analyst's reactions to green hydrogen investments in European oil refiner and steel & iron industry enterprises (R. Kinnunen 2023) (WP1)

In this thesis, the reactions of the stock market and analysts to company news regarding new investments in the hydrogen economy were examined. The selected industries for analysis were oil refining and the steel industry. The findings of this thesis can be utilized in company decision-making and portfolio formation.

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A guide to hydrogen legislation in the USA: a renewed effort (Talus & Martin 2022) (WP1)

This article will discuss how hydrogen-based energy could resolve green-energy uptake issues in the USA. This article will present the unique characteristics of H2 and its production methods, detail prior US hydrogen policy, delve into the Biden Administration’s recent legislation, and delve into issues that were not resolved by the recent legislation.

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Hydrogen in the United States - Developmental perspective (Talus and Smith 2021) (WP1)

This article is discussing about the hydrogen production methods in the US and the policies since the 1990s. Currently, many sectors use grey hydrogen, and their CO2 emissions could significantly reduce by using green hydrogen. In 2017, H2@Scale was launched to enable affordable and reliable largescale hydrogen generation, transport, storage, and utilization throughout the energy system in the US.

Techno-economy

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E-fuels: Pathway towards cleaner future (Havukainen and Sillman 2024) (WP6) (WP3)

Increasing renewable electricity generation based on the solar and wind power poses requirements for the energy storage options, while there is simultaneously an increased demand for replacing fossil fuels in transport, aviation, and maritime sectors. Power-to-X (PtX) technologies provide one solution to store the electricity in a form that can be utilized as fuels.

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Numerical investigation of two-phase flow patterns and carbon deposition in a coaxial-type reactor for molten salt electrolysis (Aghajanian et al. 2024.) (WP 5)

The electrodeposition process of carbon in molten lithium carbonate electrolysis and the associated gas-liquid flow hydrodynamics characteristics are for the first time investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The high-temperature (750 ◦C) process is challenging for conducting measurements, making CFD a valuable tool for providing insights into the novel coaxial-type cell design.

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Assessing European supply chain configurations for sustainable e-polyethylene production from sustainable CO2 and renewable electricity (Lopez et al. 2024) (WP2)

The current European chemical industry is dependent on fossil fuels and the import of products. A transition to a power-to-chemicals structure provides an opportunity to locally supply chemical feedstocks. This study develops a techno-economic model to examine the supply chain options and applies an LCA to assess the climate impacts for e-polyethylene for four European regions.

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Framework for Digitalizing Different Industrial Sectors via the Internet of Things (IoT) (M. Ullah 2023) (WP4)

This doctoral dissertation explores different aspects of the IoT and explains how different parts of the IoT can work together to support a given application, especially in the industry. The focus is on the IoT data platforms—systems that enable the deployment and management of IoT devices.

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Sustainable energy transition of Greenland and its prospects as a potential Arctic e-fuel and e-chemical export hub for Europe and East Asia (Galimova et al. 2023) (WP2)

Greenland’s energy system is very vulnerable to oil prices, as it relies on imported oil. Greenland’s transition to a 100% renewable energy system between 2019 and 2050 and its position as a potential e-fuels and e-chemicals production hub for Europe, Japan, and South Korea, has been investigated in this study using the EnergyPLAN model.

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The effect of metal dissolution on carbon production by high-temperature molten salt electrolysis (Laasonen et al. 2023) (WP5)

In this study, CO2 was electrochemically reduced to solid carbon by molten lithium carbonate electrolysis in an Inconel 625 vessel at a fixed temperature of 750C. Four different cathodes (clean nickel, used nickel, stainless steel, and galvanized steel) were used to determine the effect of the electrode material on the morphology produced. 

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Enhancing Primary Frequency Control in Microgrids through Self-Smoothing Photovoltaic Systems (Riaz et al. 2023) (WP2)

This paper explores the concept of orientational smoothing together with the frequency control of deloaded PV systems to improve self-balancing, reduce reliance on BESS, and ensure more consistent availability of the regulation reserves. The methodology involves EMT-type simulations for seven different cases of distributed PV orientations. These cases are studied for three different frequency control scenarios of a microgrid.

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Feasibility of green ammonia trading via pipelines and shipping: Cases of Europe, North Africa, and South America (Galimova et al. 2023) (WP2)

This paper aims to compare the cost of imported green e-ammonia to Germany, Finland, and Spain from regions with excellent renewable resources, Morocco, and Chile, to the cost of local production, and to quantify potential economic savings due to trading. Transportation costs are calculated in this study with techno-economic parameters reported in detail to assess their impact on final import costs, and to allow comparison of shipping costs to pipeline transmission costs over various distances. 

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Integrating H2 Economy with High Shares of Wind and Solar Power in Finnish Energy System: Operational Modelling Approach (A. Virtanen 2023) (WP2)

This thesis studies the features of energy system modelling and employs the energy system modelling tool, Backbone, to study the effects of hydrogen economy on Finnish energy system. The objective is to increase understanding of the modelled system and to analyse the effects and regional characteristics of increasing renewable power production and hydrogen production from the viewpoint of scenario years 2035 and 2050.

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Thermal storage deployment in the framework of current electricity market design (Jaanto et al. 2023) (WP2)

In this paper, the participation of power-to-heat technologies and thermal energy storages in the electricity market are examined. In particular, the paper aims to review the key enablers, barriers, and drivers for power-to-heat and thermal energy storages in the context of electricity markets. Additionally, the technical potential of power-to-heat technologies combined with thermal energy storages are examined.

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Hydrogen transport: costs, efficiency, and GHG emissions (Lipiäinen et al. 2023) (WP3&WP6)

Hydrogen delivery to large users calls for building of new infrastructures. This study analyses five different hydrogen delivery pathways. Costs, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are evaluated using a steel mill consuming 144 kt of hydrogen as an example. Mill-site electrolysis and both the hydrogen pipeline transport alternative seemed to be the best performers.

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Use of existing gas infrastructure in European hydrogen economy (Lipiäinen et al. 2023) (WP3)

This study improves understanding of hydrogen transport options in Europe and provides more detailed analysis on the prospects for hydrogen transport in Finland. Many European countries aim at utilizing existing gas infrastructure for hydrogen and conducted studies as well as pilot facilities have provided promising results. 

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Value creation by converting pulp mill flue gas streams to green fuels (Karjunen et al. 2023) (WP4&WP2)

The study presents an economic evaluation of a power-to-methanol process integrated into a pulp mill environment. The study evaluates the mass and energy balance for a process where the flue gases of the pulp mill are converted into methanol using a synthesis process. The results indicate that P2X systems offer broadening of the product portfolio and can be used in grid stabilization.

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High cost of slow energy transitions for emerging countries: On the case of Egypt’s pathway options (ElSayed et al. 2023) (WP2)

This study explores the energy transition pathway options for Egypt across the power, heat, transport, and desalination sectors. Feasibility of six scenarios is investigated. The least-cost solution, achieving 100% renewable energy and zero CO2 emissions by 2050, is dominated by solar PVs. The structural results of this study provide a reliable guide for energy transition planning in Egypt as well as in other emerging sunbelt economies.

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Case Egypt: The techno-economic impact of e-fuels' and e-chemicals' production for exports and CO2 removal on the energy system (ElSayed et al. 2023) (WP2)

Transitioning to 100% renewable energy to mitigate climate change requires solutions for hard-to-abate energy sectors as well as negative emission technologies. This study investigates the techno-economic impacts of offering such services on an exporting country’s energy system (100% renewable energy by 2050). The findings are relevant to similar sunbelt countries and also to European countries looking to fulfill their climate targets (energy imports).

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Impact of international transportation chains on cost of green e-H2: Global cost of H2 and consequences for Germany and Finland (Galimova et al. 2023) (WP2)

Widely available and low-cost solar PVs and wind power can enable production of renewable electricity-based hydrogen at many locations throughout the world. This paper assesses the feasibility of e-hydrogen imports to Germany and Finland from two case regions with a high availability of low-cost renewable electricity, Chile and Morocco, in comparison to domestic supply.

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The modelling and optimization of hydrogen storage as a part of power-to-x supply chain (S. Vilve 2023) (WP4)

This master's thesis carried out research considering techno-economic performance of P2X systems for hydrogen production methods. Additionally, comparison analysis was carried out through the thesis. In the second part, the gaseous hydrogen tank storage was separately evaluated as a part of e-methanol production plant. 

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Biomethanation potential in biogas and bioethanol plants in Finland (M. Ijäs 2022) (WP3)

The main objectives of this work were to find out the biomethanation potential in a typical case study as well as in the national level of Finland and to investigate potential biomethanation’s significance in terms of biomethane production. In addition, issues related to utilizing biomethanation in Finnish biogas plants were investigated. 

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Dynamic modelling of methanol synthesis from electrolytic hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide (V.H. Nguyen 2022) (WP4)

Power-to-methanol, in which methanol can be produced from captured CO2 and electrolytic H2, can be seen as a promising solution for CO2 emission reduction leading to diminish global warming. In this thesis, a dynamic model of crude methanol synthesis through CO2 hydrogenation was built to assess the stability of control structures and the efficiencies of the process during feed stream disturbances.

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Energy transition changing land use – estimating large-scale PV and Power-to-X potential of present peat production areas (Räisänen et al. 2022) (WP2)

Due to EU Climate policies the use of peat as an energy source is winding down. It has been proposed that the previous peat production areas could be suitable for housing large scale solar PV installations. In this paper a geo-spatial analysis of the solar PV potential of these areas in Finland with relation to existing power delivery infrastructure is studied. The P2X potential of the PV generation is also estimated in relation to P2X related infrastructure. 

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Operation of P2X-Related Processes Based on Advanced Data-Driven Methods: A Comprehensive Review (Ullah et al. 2022) (WP4)

This study is a systematic analysis of selected research articles about P2X-related processes. We summarize our findings into different working architectures and illustrate them with a numerical result that employs a machine learning model using historic data to define operational parameters for a given P2X process.

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Molten salt electrolysis of CO2 to solid carbon products and oxygen (T. Mäkinen, 2022) (WP5)

Electrolysis of CO2 has been used to produce hydrocarbon fuels or carbon monoxide. Recently, by using molten salts at high temperatures as an electrolyte, the process has been found to produce solid carbon products such as carbon nanotubes. In this thesis, the process of molten salt electrolysis of carbon dioxide to solid carbon products and oxygen is studied as well as the economic viability of a process producing carbon nanotubes.

Sustainability and safety

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LCA for climate change performance of hydrogen production methods (Patel et al. 2024) (WP6)

This study aims to compare the climate change impacts and the main factors affecting them for grey (SMR), blue (SMR-CCS), turquoise (TDM), and green hydrogen (PEM electrolysis) production. LCA results showed that green hydrogen has the 80-95% lower emissions compared to grey hydrogen, meeting the RED II directive.

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Meta-analysis of climate impact reduction potential of H2 usage in 9 P2X pathways (Sillman et al. 2024) (WP6)

Hydrogen can be directly utilised or converted via different Power-to-X pathways to produce fossil-free substitutable products; therefore, their life-cycle emissions were studied to determine whether these solutions could provide sustainable alternatives. This study provides nine meta-analyses of different pathways to compare climate emission reductions based on the literature. 

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Lessons learned and recommendations from analysis of H2 incidents and accidents to support risk assessment for the H2 economy (Alfasfos et al. 2024) (WP6)

This study addresses challenges associated with hydrogen’s physio-chemical characteristics and the need for safety and public acceptance as a precursor to the emerging hydrogen economy. It highlights the gap in existing literature regarding lessons learned from events in the green hydrogen production value chain.