Roadmapping the development of a green hydrogen industrial port complex: A case study in an Icelandic setting

• Main Author: Andriopoulos, Sief (author)
• Other Authors: Bakker, H.L.M. (graduation committee), Leijten, M. (mentor), Schraven, D.F.J. (graduation committee), Coopman, Martijn (graduation committee), Delft University of Technology (degree granting institution)
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Hydrogen; Port development; Iceland; Roadmapping; Endeavour
• Online Access: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:95e651cd-bf10-49d1-9b96-59b7ff5f1efa

The Paris Agreement was created in an effort to enhance the global response to the issue of climate change. To reach this goal, greenhouse gas emissions must be at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and the temperature rise must be kept below 2 degrees Celsius this century. Moreover, the recent fossil fuel price increases, are pressing eye-openers to the geopolitical dependency on a small number of nations and mark the urgency of the energy transition. Hydrogen generation as a means of energy distribution and storage is argued to be a viable solution to this challenge because this flexible energy carrier can be produced by any energy source and can be converted into various energy forms. The energy carrier is believed to be critical for decarbonising heavy industries, heating, and transportation. Although hydrogen can be produced from a variety of energy sources, the only long-term key to facilitating the energy transition and establishing a new green economy would be through the electrolysis of water, fueled by renewable energy. To be economically viable, the energy would have to be provided at a large scale and at a competitive price. This makes it a global endeavour, requiring cross-border collaboration to create international supply chains. With its potential to generate an abundance of wind energy, geothermal energy, and hydropower, Iceland is exploring its opportunity to produce hydrogen for its domestic markets and export markets. Therefore, this research is taking the Icelandic situation as a case study. A lack of infrastructure to create, store, and transport hydrogen in significant amounts is one of the obstacles to developing the hydrogen economy. Infrastructure development needs effective coordination and substantial expenditures. In this sense, port authorities play a crucial role in bringing together all the relevant parties in the supply chain. However, creating a long-term plan to convince investors and other decision-makers presents a hurdle. The creation of a port master plan is constrained by ...