Some new competitive advantages in the field of energetic paradigm shift from coal and gas towards the blue hydrogen production

Achieving the 2030 and 2050 climate targets gears up several economic opportunities but also a package of threats for the EU Member States. The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will accelerate the energy transition, which is becoming an engine of post-coronavirus economic growth. In this landscape, new economic governance, speeding up innovation, cutting the red tape, and improving access to human and financial resources becomes essential for ensuring a sustainable and long-lasting economic development which is linked with reducing the carbon emissions. Basically, a race against the clock has begun, as the first significant climate targets are to be met in 2030, aiming to reduce GHG emissions by 55% from 1990 level. Several recent studies have sought to deepen the potential of hydrogen in achieving these climate goals explaining how it can be embedded into the European Union economy. It highlighted some important features and applications of hydrogen as a substitute for other polluting resources used today in energy production, transportation, or other economic and social domains. Using a regression model, the author identified a close correlation between the increase in the price of carbon certificates and the decline in coal production. An accelerated, three-fold increase in the price of carbon certificates could enable hydrogen to be used in the power sector, while ensuring post-2030 continuity for domestic natural gas production. The combination between blue hydrogen and natural gas might be the solution to eliminate two thirds of carbon emissions from energy production, while attracting European funds, as investments for the energy transition.