Financing Hydrogen Projects Business cases and political support Pierre Etienne Franc l Air Liquide, Technologies of the Future Director Chairman of the FCH JU Governing Board Sevilla, November, 16th 2012 l IPHE Conference
Renewable move means a shift in the energy models - from OPEX to CAPEX Conventional power scheme Low CAPEX per MW (Nuclear exc.) High OPEX SPOT price ~ marginal cost of the last power plant brought online Renewable energy new paradigm CAPEX rises OPEX decreases Production marginal cost ~0 /MWh Competition with other mature or developing technologies for access to capital markets Similar financing issues for substitution technologies High CAPEX at start High market risks requiring new business models and supporting mechanisms to develop: New energy storage technologies Hydrogen infrastructure for mobility 2 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Versatility of Hydrogen is a key advantage for energy storage Revenue streams Intermittent Thermal/ back up Grid services H2 Fuel cell Natural Gas Grid Grid flexibility needs Electrolyser Power Grid Mobility To be financed, hydrogen technology needs A sound business model: Appropriate applications for decarbonised H2 Political vision and support for new substitution technologies CHP, Off grid, Industrial customers, 3 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Power-to-power and power-to-gas currently face strong competitive hurdles Case 1: Injection in Natural Gas grid H2 valued for its heat value in competition with Natural Gas H2 price derives from Power cost Operating time Electrolyser CAPEX Case 2: Reconversion and injection in the power grid Competition with Alternative flexibility solutions Other storage technologies Daily price arbitrage business case 600 300 10 /kgh2 500 250 /MWh th 200 150 100 50 0 Control Power H2 price present CAPEX H2 price low CAPEX Methanation biogas FiT Landfill biogas FiT Natural Gas price 5 /kgh2 /MWh el 400 300 200 100 0 Control Power PHES CAES ACAES Batteries H2 Hydrogen competitive if low electrolyser CAPEX and high remuneration for control power 4 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Steady electrolysis or discontinuous operation? Electrolyser hypotheses Low electrolyser CAPEX: 1.5M /MW Capital charge: 20% CAPEX Electricity market hypotheses German day-ahead SPOT- EPEX Theoretical future energy prices Electrolyser run when excess RE Operating time & electricity price decreases Cost of capital increases Compatible with control power services /MWh 50 40 30 20 Electricity price - SPOT Excess RE scenario /kgh2 15 10 5 Steady - SPOT Excess RE scenario Steady - SPOT + CP Excess RE + CP 10 0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Time (h/year) 70% 80% 90% 100% 0 Control Power 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Time (h/year) 70% 80% 90% 100% Only low CAPEX and large amount of excess RE enable discontinuous mode 5 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Downstream applications for H2 from energy storage Already competitive: H2 Forklifts First large FCEV developments in Germany: CEP, H2 mobility FCEV are expected to be cost competitive by 2025 Decentralised applications Competitive Value for H2 (~10 /kg) Air Liquide s HRS in Dusseldorf Source: Daimler Decentralised production for mobility applications consistent with H2 value 6 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Hydrogen transfers Renewable Energy into decarbonised Transports Fluctuating RE curtailment estimate in 2020 in Germany is 28 000 GWh = 4.5% German electricity consumption Conversion in hydrogen by electrolysis 500 000 t H2 that could feed 4.2 millions Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles ~10% of German car fleet Avoided imports: 25 millions of barrels 2.8 b /year imports avoided at current barrel price (113 /barrel at London Stock Exchange in September 2012) Objective in 2020 in Germany: 250 HRS ~Capital Expenditure 2012-2020 ~ 0.5b 1. Increasing electricity generation from renewable energy 2. Electrolysis to convert excess electricity into hydrogen and stabilize the grid 3. Decarbonise the transport sector No dependency to liquid fuel Gtoe (Gtonnes of oil equivalent) 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Lignite and coal Liquid fuel (oil) Natural gas Nuclear Heat Renewable Energy Gross German energy consumption in 2010 Source: Eurostat 7 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Hydrogen business cases are not bankable today Large scale storage of hydrogen is not an attractive business case today, because it has to compete with competitive non-zero emissions technologies Grid extension, conventional back up and wind curtailment are more cost effective Industrial / FC applications of hydrogen will drive first developments of hydrogen energy H2 has more value in mobility applications than power-to-gas and powerto-power applications Electrolyser flexibility improves the model with Control Power revenues over a steady run mode. 8 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Key factors for a bankable project public support needed Intermittent Energy physical flows 1 2 Revenue streams 3 Grid services Thermal/ back up Grid flexibility needs Electrolyser Hydrogen storage 700b H2 FCEV 1. Provide a market structure for zero-emission technologies stabilizing the grid Regulation: Lower the threshold (nb. of MW) to be eligible to control power market Financial: Incentivise control power provided by new zero emission technologies 2. Support technology development and demonstration projects PEM technology, capex reductions Examples: Joint Undertaking schemes, Oséo 3. Develop direct applications of hydrogen as mobility Incentivise FCEV cars to create a demand for H2 Facilitate HRS development through local support and financial tools 9 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Political vision and support to reach cost-competitiveness Market and technology risks are high long term vision Investment cannot be carried only by private actors without political support: public-private partnership Direct funding: R&D and demonstration e.g. JTI Reimbursable grants: First-of-a-kind and commercial demonstration Feed-in tariff, loans guarantees, tax credit for commercial developments FCH JU, Nat. Programs Feed-in-Tariffs Examplesfor renewable energy 10 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Public/Private partnership for hydrogen infrastructure Needs to de-risk private investment through public support Loan guarantees, Co-financing, insurances, state loans,. Tackling the first mover disadvantage Capital intensive developments vs. low utilisation rate at start Need of protection for early movers / No barrier to entry for future stakeholders Need for public private advanced collaboration Share first development costs & risks Create temporary dispensations to competition regulation (as for Mobile Phone Networks) Support of European and national institutions through direct subsidies, guarantees, regulation, codes and standards, public incitation, support to public equipment 11 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop
Thank you for your attention 12 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in the Economy Workshop