Consultation on developing a hydrogen strategy for Ireland

The Climate Action Plan 2021 set out the potential green hydrogen has to support decarbonisation across several sectors, including heavy goods transport, high-temperature heat for industry, and electricity generation. Green hydrogen could play a significant role in sector coupling (the increased integration of energy supply and end-use sectors), and in minimising the overall cost of decarbonisation across all sectors.

Specific actions relating to hydrogen are set out in the Annex of Actions to the Plan and include testing the technical feasibility of safely injecting green hydrogen blends in the gas grid, assessing the potential for system integration between the electricity and gas networks, which will include the production, storage and use of green hydrogen, and progressing research and pilot studies regarding the use of hydrogen in the transport sector. There are also a number of other actions, such as those concerning renewable energy in the heat sector, where hydrogen is a relevant factor.

Further measures set out in the Plan include incentivising electrolyser production, developing storage capacity for long duration and seasonal storage of renewable energy, and co-location of electrolysers with renewable energy production infrastructure.

The National Energy Security Framework was developed to address the challenges of ensuring the ongoing and long-term security of affordable energy supply. A hydrogen strategy for Ireland is one of the key priorities in the Framework. The strategy will outline the pathways towards the production of green hydrogen, and its use in Ireland’s energy mix.

This consultation is being held to gather the views of stakeholders and interested parties, in order to inform the development of a hydrogen strategy for Ireland.

A document has been developed setting out various areas of interest to be considered in the development of the hydrogen strategy, and inviting stakeholders’ views on specific questions to be answered in this regard.

The closing date for submissions is 5.30pm on Friday 2 September 2022

Submissions should be sent by email to hydrogenconsultation@decc.gov.ie or by post to:

Consultation on developing a hydrogen strategy for Ireland

Wholesale Electricity and Gas Policy Division

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

29-31 Adelaide Road

Dublin D02 X285

We are committed to engaging with stakeholders in a clear, open and transparent manner. Any person or organisation can make a submission in relation to this consultation. All submissions and feedback will be considered before the final version of the Hydrogen Strategy is published.

Please note that responses to this consultation are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI), Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007-2018 (AIE) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please also note that we intend to publish the contents of all submissions received to our consultations on our website. We will redact personal data prior to publication. In responding to this consultation, parties should clearly indicate where their responses contain personal information, commercially sensitive information or confidential information which they would not wish to be released under FOI, AIE or otherwise published.

We would like to draw your attention to our Data Protection which explains how and when we collect personal data, why we do so and how we treat this information. It also explains your rights in relation to the collection of personal information and how you can exercise those rights.

As part of their work on REPowerEU, consultants from Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (GDG) assisted the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with the analysis of the 126 substantive responses to the consultation. GDG were tasked with reviewing and summarising these responses with the objective of extracting information which will assist with the development of Ireland’s national hydrogen strategy. GDG have produced a report which provides a summary of responses to the consultation and "the GDG view" which offers some additional context to responses received.