Many governments, including the EU, give a prominent role to hydrogen produced via Power-to-Gas (i.e., electrolysis) as a flexibility provider to balance mismatches between electricity supply and demand which may increase because of the increased penetration of renewable energy. Indeed, hydrogen can provide flexibility to the power system. Moreover, it can also help to decarbonize industrial and transport sectors. The questions which will be discusses are the following: Does Power-to-Gas reduce the price volatility of electricity? To which degree, does Power-to-Gas reduce carbon emissions? Do the benefits of Power-to-Gas, including the benefits of carbon reduction, exceed its costs? How do the interactions between electricity and hydrogen markets change the roles of hydrogen played?

Speakers: Machiel Mulder and Xinyu Li

Machiel Mulder is a Professor of Energy Economics, Director of the Centre for Energy Economics Research (CEER), Program Director of Executive MBA Energy Transition at the University of Groningen, and board member of Benelux Association for Energy Economics (BAEE). Previously he was Chief Economic Advisor at the Dutch energy regulator and Head of the Energy Department at the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis. He was also general chairman of the 41st International Conference of the IAEE in Groningen in June 2018.

Xinyu Li is a researcher in Economics at the University of Groningen. He specializes in the field of Industry Organization, Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Energy Economics, and Health Economics. He has published several papers on information disclosure in the business practices, health market designs, and hydrogen economics. Recently, he is working on projects about the economic value of Power-to-Gas as a flexibility option in energy market.