Decarbonizing Health: more than hot air?

Hydrogen at the heart of the infrastructure decarbonizing agenda

The Welsh Government triggered a serious climate alarm in 2019 and followed through a steady agenda to decarbonize public infrastructure, leading to the announcement at the end of March 2021 of the NHS Wales decarbonization strategic delivery plan which is accessible on this page to download (or click here to access it directly).

This comprehensive -and inspiring- strategy scans all methods and avenues available across infrastructure and segments of industry. It analyses building alternative sources of energy and how they fit in existing building retrofit, refurbishment projects or through enticing mechanisms or stringent norms inspire construction of new assets.

One particular option caught the attention of infrastructure performance specialists such as your Decide’s Capital Investment in Health Group: the promise of hydrogen as a green substitute to carbon and fossil fuels.

Hydrogen as an energy source is recognised as an important contributor to a net-zero 2050; however, significant development is still needed and therefore this will not contribute towards a net zero 2030. Hydrogen does not feature significantly in any Future Energy Scenarios for heat until 2035, and at that point, this is anticipated to be on a local hydrogen grid basis targeting industrial areas.

Others are looking at hydrogen with growing interest, such as Smart Energy which recently underlined the promising potential of hydrogen paste: click here.

Management consultants PWC also described the new market dynamics which will result from the very competitive production benchmark map they foresee:

The most attractive production markets for green hydrogen are those with abundant, low-cost renewable resources. In parts of the Middle East, Africa, Russia, the US and Australia, for example, green hydrogen could be produced for €3 to €5/kg today. In Europe, production costs vary from €3 to €8/kg.

Interested in knowing more? click here.

While infrastructure strategists fathom the future of clean or green energy sources for public buildings, health infrastructure managers need to anticipate the hairpin bend of a volatile market (no pun intended) which drove them in the arms of gas-wood combination not so long ago but may coaxed them into drastic changes for the health of the planet….with structural changes implied for the infrastructure they manage.