FTI-Roadmap Power-to-Gas für Österreich

The increasing proportion of temporally volatile electricity production in particular from wind and solar energy is a new challenge in recent years which is caused by the promotion of renewable energy sources in Central Europe. A possibility for long-term energy storage in this case can be power-to-gas: the chemical storage of electricity in the form of gaseous energy carriers such as methane or hydrogen.

The system power-to-gas has specific advantages compared to other storage technologies, such as the possibility of long-term storage of energy in the existing gas grid, the ability to store high energy capacities, transferring energy transport from the electricity to the natural gas grid or binding of carbon dioxide, etc. The possible positive macroeconomic benefit is also the basis for the present RTI-Roadmap (Research, Technology and Innovation) for the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology, compiled by the Energy Institute at the JKU Linz under the involvement of leading national experts.

In the context of power-to-gas the technological and the systemic perspective are both of immanent importance for future research and development in Austria and need to be accelerated accordingly. As part of the Roadmap a vision for power-to-gas on the future energy system, the challenges and the need for action as well as resulting RTI instruments for systemic and technological issues concerning the evolution of power-to-gas were developed. The identified fundamental areas of action are summarized in the following table.

RTI-areas for action for power-to-gas systems in Austria

from a systemic perspective

• Realization of demonstration and pilot projects in Austria
• Economic and systemic research to increase the efficiency and feasibility
• Analysis of system integration (Power-to-gas in the energy system)
• Development of new forms/options of financing
• Focusing and expansion of existing strategic research programs, Implementation of new instruments/programs
• Intensification of strategic transnational & national collaborations
• Enforcement of education and training

From a technological perspective

• Implementation of intelligent technological configurations (especially in the field of electrolysis)
• Enforcement of high-pressure electrolysis research
• R&D for advancements in methanation technologies
• materials research along the process chain
• Further development of Power-to-liquids

(Source: Energy Institute at the JKU Linz)

Regarding the design of the RTI support systems in the field of Power-to-gas technologies a mix of instruments from basic research, industrial research, experimental development and demonstration/pilot projects is considered as necessary, which are accompanied by appropriate actions in the field of education and training, standards and certification as well as legal norms.

Contact

Energyinstitute - Johannes Kepler University Linz
Dr. Robert Tichler
Altenberger Straße 69
A-4040 Linz
Tel.: +43 (732) 2468 5659
E-Mail: tichler@energieinstitut-linz.at
Web: www.energieinstitut-linz.at