ETH researches the role of hydrogen for the Swiss electricity system
The Energy Science Center of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) has examined the potential role of hydrogen or e-methane for the Swiss power system. Using the modeling platform Nexus-e, three main scenarios for 2050 were developed.
In a six-month research project, a team of researchers from the Energy Science Centre at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich has attempted to find out what role synthetic fuels could play in the Swiss electricity system. With the help of the Nexus-e modelling platform, three main scenarios for the Swiss electricity system in 2050 were designed, according to a press release: the potential role of hydrogen and e-methane for the Swiss electricity supply if they are imported, the seasonal storage of electricity in Switzerland and the potential costs of producing hydrogen and e-methane in Switzerland.
The researchers conclude that hydrogen and e-methane imports can only be part of a cost-effective electricity supply in Switzerland if import prices are low. At very low prices, hydrogen could cover up to 12 per cent of the annual electricity demand. They do not see domestically produced hydrogen or e-methane as a cost-effective solution for seasonal electricity storage.
The results of this study are intended to provide an insight into the role of synthetic fuels in a net-zero emissions electricity system in Switzerland, but are not intended as forecasts. It was commissioned by Heinz M. Buhofer, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Metall Zug, and co-financed by the electricity supplier Eniwa. The project advisory board consisted of members of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, the Tech Cluster Zug, the Association of the Swiss Gas Industry and the Zug-based management consultancy Steinmann Consulting.