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Renewable energy harnesses the power of wind and sunlight to generate electricity. But what happens when the wind isn't blowing, or the sun isn't shining? And how do we manage surplus electricity on days when we produce more than we need? How can we store this excess electricity for days when you have a shortage?

In the Bistro of the Vening Meinesz building, researchers, students and staff gathered to explore these questions during a recent Science for Sustainability Café.

Hamed Aslannejad, assistant professor at the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development, discussed the mismatch between inflexible energy supply and fluctuating demand, highlighting the need for fuel cells and electrolysis throughout the year. He introduced the large project, which addresses various challenges of green hydrogen across multiple work packages.

Potential solutions, such as underground hydrogen storage in salt caverns, empty gas fields, and rock layers, were presented. Suzanne Hangx, associate professor at the Earth Sciences department, who specializes in subsurface geology, explained the composition and potential uses of the subsurface for hydrogen storage.

Peter Ngene, associate professor at the Chemistry department, elaborated on the pros and cons of hydrogen versus batteries as energy carriers, focusing on the importance of gravimetric and volumetric energy density. The key question remains: will fuel cells outperform batteries?

The final presentation expanded the discussion to the broader context of decarbonizing the power system. Vinzenz Koning, assistant professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, examined the role of hydrogen in a decarbonized energy system and the scale of production required.

While these technologies hold great promise, all the speakers as well as Ceres Woolley Maisch and Roberto Paglini from the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht argue, they are not without obstacles. The effects of large emissions of hydrogen to the atmosphere remain uncertain. The hydrogen emissions are hard to measure and hydrogen could potentially be an indirect greenhouse gas, its presence in the atmosphere can indirectly affect climate through chemical reactions. Last but not least, the equal distribution and fairness of production of green energy across the globe should be kept at the center of attention.