Bonn (energate) - Due to mild temperatures, the very high average wind feed-in at the end of the year and lower gas prices, daily and weekly contracts fell sharply on the electricity market. As a result, green hydrogen was again significantly cheaper to produce than in the week before Christmas. The Hydex 'Green' fell by more than half and was quoted at an average of 167 €/MWh (5.57 €/kg).
The gas market also benefited considerably from the rising temperatures, which, together with lower industrial demand over the holidays, had significantly reduced gas consumption. In addition, gas storage facilities are very well filled at over 90 per cent. Short-term gas prices fell by an average of about 48 per cent.
This also reduced the cost prices for the production of conventional hydrogen. The Hydex 'Blue' and Hydex 'Grey' quoted on average 88 €/MWh and 83 €/MWh lower at 128 €/MWh (4.26 €/kg) and 126 €/MWh (4.19 €/kg) respectively.
Green hydrogen gained significantly in competitiveness again compared to conventional hydrogen. The hyspread 'Green-Grey' was quoted at only 41 €/MWh (1.38 €/kg) and thus 201 €/MWh (6.71 €/kg) lower than in the previous weeks. In the week of New Year's Eve, green hydrogen was even significantly more competitive on average at 2.35 €/kg than conventional hydrogen which cost 5.20 €/kg to produce.
/Andreas Gelfort, E-Bridge Consulting
The hydrogen index Hydex is currently still cost-based and refers to the short-term production costs of three different technologies for the production of hydrogen, electrolysis (green), steam reforming with (blue) and without (grey)CO2 storage. It was developed by the consulting firm E-Bridge Consulting and appears weekly in energate's hydrogen briefing. You can also find the current status at: https://www.e-bridge.de
