IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i20p14757-d1257704.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

External Hydrogen Relations of the European Union: Framing Processes in the Public Discourse Towards and within Partner Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Friedrich Plank

    (Department of Political Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Jakob Welder Weg 12, 55128 Mainz, Germany)

  • Johannes Muntschick

    (Department of Political Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Jakob Welder Weg 12, 55128 Mainz, Germany)

  • Arne Niemann

    (Department of Political Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Jakob Welder Weg 12, 55128 Mainz, Germany)

  • Michèle Knodt

    (Institute for Political Science, Technical University Darmstadt, Residenzschloss 1, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany)

Abstract

With the need to decarbonize sectors that have hard-to-abate emissions, hydrogen as an energy carrier has increasingly gained attention. Within the European Union (EU) and its member states, hydrogen is assumed to be key for decarbonizing different sectors in the fight against climate change. Hence, state and private actors have engaged in a variety of attempts, strategies, and interests. However, energy security in Europe cannot be managed by European energy supply alone, despite high targets for the expansion of renewable energies. Rather, the EU will have to continue to rely on energy imports from partner countries. Against this backdrop, this paper seeks to provide an analysis of frame promotion processes generated by the EU’s bet on hydrogen. Drawing on a discourse analysis that is based on more than 32,000 media reports generated through the database Nexis, it conceptualizes the media debate as a carrier of frame alignment efforts by actors with a specific focus on the debates concerning external partner countries. It thus focuses on the discourses on the EU’s hydrogen approach in a complex environment with diverging interests of stakeholders from inside and outside the EU, thereby examining debates that still need further empirical research.

Suggested Citation

  • Friedrich Plank & Johannes Muntschick & Arne Niemann & Michèle Knodt, 2023. "External Hydrogen Relations of the European Union: Framing Processes in the Public Discourse Towards and within Partner Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:20:p:14757-:d:1257704
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/20/14757/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/20/14757/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sherry-Brennan, Fionnguala & Devine-Wright, Hannah & Devine-Wright, Patrick, 2010. "Public understanding of hydrogen energy: A theoretical approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5311-5319, October.
    2. Seck, Gondia S. & Hache, Emmanuel & Sabathier, Jerome & Guedes, Fernanda & Reigstad, Gunhild A. & Straus, Julian & Wolfgang, Ove & Ouassou, Jabir A. & Askeland, Magnus & Hjorth, Ida & Skjelbred, Hans , 2022. "Hydrogen and the decarbonization of the energy system in europe in 2050: A detailed model-based analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    3. Wenting Cheng & Sora Lee, 2022. "How Green Are the National Hydrogen Strategies?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-33, February.
    4. Bleischwitz, Raimund & Bader, Nikolas, 2010. "Policies for the transition towards a hydrogen economy: the EU case," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5388-5398, October.
    5. Yetano Roche, María & Mourato, Susana & Fischedick, Manfred & Pietzner, Katja & Viebahn, Peter, 2010. "Public attitudes towards and demand for hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles: A review of the evidence and methodological implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5301-5310, October.
    6. Timmerberg, Sebastian & Kaltschmitt, Martin, 2019. "Hydrogen from renewables: Supply from North Africa to Central Europe as blend in existing pipelines – Potentials and costs," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 795-809.
    7. van der Zwaan, Bob & Lamboo, Sam & Dalla Longa, Francesco, 2021. "Timmermans’ dream: An electricity and hydrogen partnership between Europe and North Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    8. Madsen, Anne Nygaard & Andersen, Per Dannemand, 2010. "Innovative regions and industrial clusters in hydrogen and fuel cell technology," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5372-5381, October.
    9. Elkhan Richard Sadik-Zada, 2021. "Political Economy of Green Hydrogen Rollout: A Global Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Debiagi, P. & Rocha, R.C. & Scholtissek, A. & Janicka, J. & Hasse, C., 2022. "Iron as a sustainable chemical carrier of renewable energy: Analysis of opportunities and challenges for retrofitting coal-fired power plants," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eugeniusz Mokrzycki & Lidia Gawlik, 2024. "The Development of a Green Hydrogen Economy: Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-29, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luciano De Tommasi & Pádraig Lyons, 2022. "Towards the Integration of Flexible Green Hydrogen Demand and Production in Ireland: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-32, December.
    2. Gordon, Joel A. & Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye & Nabavi, Seyed Ali, 2022. "Homes of the future: Unpacking public perceptions to power the domestic hydrogen transition," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Liu, Feng & Lyu, Tao & Pan, Li & Wang, Fei, 2017. "Influencing factors of public support for modern coal-fired power plant projects: An empirical study from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 398-406.
    4. Gordon, Joel A. & Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye & Nabavi, Seyed Ali, 2023. "Price promises, trust deficits and energy justice: Public perceptions of hydrogen homes," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    5. Ioannis Kountouris & Rasmus Bramstoft & Theis Madsen & Juan Gea-Bermúdez & Marie Münster & Dogan Keles, 2024. "A unified European hydrogen infrastructure planning to support the rapid scale-up of hydrogen production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Lifeng Du & Yanmei Yang & Luli Zhou & Min Liu, 2024. "Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential and Economics of Green Hydrogen via Water Electrolysis: A Systematic Review of Value-Chain-Wide Decarbonization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-37, May.
    7. Tarkowski, R. & Uliasz-Misiak, B., 2022. "Towards underground hydrogen storage: A review of barriers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    8. Gordon, Joel A. & Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye & Nabavi, Seyed Ali, 2023. "Socio-technical barriers to domestic hydrogen futures: Repurposing pipelines, policies, and public perceptions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    9. Tarigan, Ari K.M. & Bayer, Stian B., 2012. "Temporal change analysis of public attitude, knowledge and acceptance of hydrogen vehicles in Greater Stavanger, 2006–2009," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(8), pages 5535-5544.
    10. Thomas Adisorn & Maike Venjakob & Julia Pössinger & Sibel Raquel Ersoy & Oliver Wagner & Raphael Moser, 2023. "Implications of the Interrelations between the (Waste)Water Sector and Hydrogen Production for Arid Countries Using the Example of Jordan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Karbassi, Veis & Trotter, Philipp A. & Walther, Grit, 2023. "Diversifying the African energy system: Economic versus equitable allocation of renewable electricity and e-fuel production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 350(C).
    12. Seck, Gondia S. & Hache, Emmanuel & Sabathier, Jerome & Guedes, Fernanda & Reigstad, Gunhild A. & Straus, Julian & Wolfgang, Ove & Ouassou, Jabir A. & Askeland, Magnus & Hjorth, Ida & Skjelbred, Hans , 2022. "Hydrogen and the decarbonization of the energy system in europe in 2050: A detailed model-based analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    13. Arturo Vallejos-Romero & Minerva Cordoves-Sánchez & César Cisternas & Felipe Sáez-Ardura & Ignacio Rodríguez & Antonio Aledo & Álex Boso & Jordi Prades & Boris Álvarez, 2022. "Green Hydrogen and Social Sciences: Issues, Problems, and Future Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    14. Zhuang, Rui & Wang, Xiaonan & Guo, Miao & Zhao, Yingru & El-Farra, Nael H. & Palazoglu, Ahmet, 2020. "Waste-to-hydrogen: Recycling HCl to produce H2 and Cl2," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    15. Janicka, J. & Debiagi, P. & Scholtissek, A. & Dreizler, A. & Epple, B. & Pawellek, R. & Maltsev, A. & Hasse, C., 2023. "The potential of retrofitting existing coal power plants: A case study for operation with green iron," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 339(C).
    16. Kang, Min Jung & Park, Heejun, 2011. "Impact of experience on government policy toward acceptance of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Korea," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3465-3475, June.
    17. Seck, Gondia Sokhna & Hache, Emmanuel & D'Herbemont, Vincent & Guyot, Mathis & Malbec, Louis-Marie, 2023. "Hydrogen development in Europe: Estimating material consumption in net zero emissions scenarios," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    18. Lee, Juyong & Cho, Youngsang, 2020. "Estimation of the usage fee for peer-to-peer electricity trading platform: The case of South Korea," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    19. Mubariz Mammadli, 2022. "Environmentally Responsible Business Approaches in Azerbaijan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-25, May.
    20. Lopez, Gabriel & Galimova, Tansu & Fasihi, Mahdi & Bogdanov, Dmitrii & Breyer, Christian, 2023. "Towards defossilised steel: Supply chain options for a green European steel industry," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:20:p:14757-:d:1257704. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.