{"id":9246,"date":"2022-05-12T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plugpower.local\/?p=9246"},"modified":"2022-05-11T18:31:31","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T22:31:31","slug":"green-hydrogen-is-the-security-europe-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/green-hydrogen-is-the-security-europe-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Hydrogen is the Security Europe Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Andy Marsh, Plug Power President & CEO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since World War I transformed oil into a strategic commodity<\/a>, the geopolitics of oil and gas have defined our global economy for over a century. As we now witness Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine unfold, it has never been more evident that relying on foreign sources of fossil fuels puts countries at geopolitical risk. When European Union leaders convene to discuss ways to gain independence from Russian oil and gas, green hydrogen needs to be at the forefront of the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until now, Russia has been a key provider of energy to the European Union \u2013 supplying about 40% of the EU\u2019s natural gas imports, about 25% of oil imports and about 45% of coal imports<\/a> \u2013 posing a concern to the energy security of this bloc of nations. Germany, which anchors the EU with the world\u2019s fourth-largest economy, is so dependent on Russia for gas that its economy would be the most vulnerable<\/a> to collapsing if Russia cut off gas supplies. Despite this, within a week of the Ukraine invasion, Germany took action<\/a> by jackpot party casino free coins halting the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline that would have carried more Russian gas to Germany, committing to the construction of terminals for liquified natural gas (LNG) from allied nations, and announcing plans for national gas reserves and coal-fired power plants to remain on standby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany is not alone in its response. The International Energy Agency<\/a> recently unveiled a 10-point plan to cut Russian imports by over a third within one year. This was followed closely by the European Commission\u2019s plan<\/a> to reduce EU demand for Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of the year, and the UK government\u2019s plan<\/a> to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green Hydrogen is Europe\u2019s Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with solar, wind and batteries, green hydrogen is an important piece of the renewable energy infrastructure needed to decarbonize the world\u2019s economy, and give the European people the security they need. At Plug, we\u2019ve been investing in green hydrogen production to help the world meet its sustainability goal of reducing carbon emissions and avoid an increase in average global temperatures by no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius<\/a> above preindustrial levels, a target set by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expansion of renewable energy is no longer simply a climate change initiative but rather an immediate national security issue for both Europe and the rest of the world. Green hydrogen has an opportunity to be a part of the solution for these reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n