Techno-Economic Assessment

The hydrogen transmission and distribution network is a key element of the overallhydrogen infrastructure. The coverage and throughput of this network, which is one ofthe main limiting factors that govern the penetration of hydrogen in the energy systemand its commercialisation for hydrogen fuelled vehicles, will dictate the extent of use ofhydrogen as an energy carrier.By examining both technical aspects and economic implications of different options,the present report attempts to critically examine both current and future perspectives forhydrogen delivery on a large scale. Based on this analysis, and on a number ofhydrogen penetration scenarios in Europe with a time horizon at 2050, the authorsattempt to preliminarily estimate the cost of deployment of a hydrogen deliveryinfrastructure in Europe.A future hydrogen economy is likely to rely on a combination of different deliveryoptions, whose share of application will evolve with time, driven by the development ofthe hydrogen energy market. Furthermore, the construction of this infrastructure is notlikely to become a major financial burden to the development of the hydrogeneconomy.