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Journal Article

Electricity- and hydrogen-driven energy system sector-coupling in net-zero CO2 emission pathways

Authors

van der Zwaan,  Bob
External Organizations;

Fattahi,  Amir
External Organizations;

Dalla Longa,  Francesco
External Organizations;

Dekker,  Mark
External Organizations;

van Vuuren,  Detlef
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Robert.Pietzcker

Pietzcker,  Robert C.       
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/renato.rodrigues

Rodrigues,  Renato
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Felix.Schreyer

Schreyer,  Felix       
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Huppmann,  Daniel
External Organizations;

Emmerling,  Johannes
External Organizations;

Pfenninger,  Stefan
External Organizations;

Lombardi,  Francesco
External Organizations;

Fragkos,  Panagiotis
External Organizations;

Kannavou,  Maria
External Organizations;

Fotiou,  Theofano
External Organizations;

Tolios,  Giannis
External Organizations;

Usher,  Will
External Organizations;

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Fulltext (public)

32779oa.pdf
(Publisher version), 3MB

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Citation

van der Zwaan, B., Fattahi, A., Dalla Longa, F., Dekker, M., van Vuuren, D., Pietzcker, R. C., Rodrigues, R., Schreyer, F., Huppmann, D., Emmerling, J., Pfenninger, S., Lombardi, F., Fragkos, P., Kannavou, M., Fotiou, T., Tolios, G., Usher, W. (2025): Electricity- and hydrogen-driven energy system sector-coupling in net-zero CO2 emission pathways. - Nature Communications, 16, 1368.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56365-0


Cite as: https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_32779
Abstract
Electricity- and hydrogen-based sector coupling contributes to realizing the transition towards greenhouse gas neutrality in the European energy system. Energy system and integrated assessment models show that, to follow pathways compatible with the European policy target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, large amounts of renewable electricity and H2 need to be generated, mostly by scaling-up wind and solar energy production capacity. With a set of such models, under jointly adopted deep decarbonisation scenario assumptions, we here show that the ensuing direct penetration of electricity and H2 in final energy consumption may rise to average shares of around 60% and 6%, respectively, by 2050. We demonstrate that electrification proves the most cost-efficient decarbonisation route in all economic sectors, while the direct use of H2 in final energy consumption provides a relatively small, though essential, contribution to deep decarbonisation. We conclude that the variance observed across results from different models reflects the uncertainties that abound in the shape of deep decarbonisation pathways, in particular with regard to the role of H2.