Seen by many companies and institutions green hydrogen is a future substitute for natural gas. and exactly Castellon It is one of the regions where the expectations are higher. The main economic activity of the province, ceramic uses large amounts of natural gas carry out processes and therefore have various projects It is placed around the tile cluster for this purpose. One of the most notable is the investment being prepared by bp and Iberdrola on the industrial estate of Serrallo de Castelló. However, this technology is still in an experimental stage and there are many steps to be taken before there is a truly reliable alternative.
The most obvious validation comes from the markets. The European Energy Exchange, considered the main energy reference exchange in Europe, created the i.Hydrix index, From now on, green hydrogen prices will be reflected. this premiere confirms what has been feared for years: its price is much higher than that of natural gas.
The result of the premiere
The first indicators are found in: 231.6 euros per megawatt hour. That’s not an exaggeration when compared to gas, where it peaked at 345 euros last summer. Instead, it is currently at stable levels and is currently trading below €40 on the European reference market – the Dutch TTF. Hydrogen costs eight times more and is not yet competitive.
“A long way”
General Secretary of the Ceramic Manufacturers Association (Ascer), Alberto Echavarria, He referred to this hydrogen premiere in the markets. He made the following comment from the industry: “We already have certainties”, to add that there are many challenges to overcome.
“We not only have to overcome the technological hurdle, but also an economic hurdle, which is almost nine times the current price,” he said, so hydrogen will be a substitute for natural gas. “a very long road”. He also warned that this price of hydrogen “is forcing many accounts to review and may leave many speechless”.
question marks
It will be the future that determines the viability of this technology. On the one hand, we will have to see whether production in large quantities will help lower the price, while there is another challenge associated with the technological changes linked to this new resource.