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The EU is promoting hydrogen as enabling energy carrier that may account for up to 20% of energy and especially fulfill between 20% and 50% of transportation demands and between 5% and 20% of industrial needs. To ensure the success of this shift, Power-to-Hydrogen and Hydrogen-to-X technologies have attracted significant interest because they transform renewable power directly into green hydrogen, via water electrolysis, which can be stored and transferred more readily than other fuels for several end-uses. The present paper aims to discuss the role of such technologies in the current and future energy systems, with a specific reference to the European scenario. The main energy sectors where hydrogen could play an important role will be discussed, such as transportation, power generation, manufacturing sectors, refining and agriculture, with a focus on potential technological integration and synergies, providing a guideline for industrial players up to 2050 with a discussion about technology maturity by presenting short-term/long-term roadmaps. [Display omitted] • Overview of green hydrogen production and Power-to-Hydrogen concepts. • Focus on European hydrogen demand and potential hydrogen applications. • Overview of several concepts of Hydrogen-to-X, enabling sector coupling. • Hydrogen can store energy with capacities ranging from 1 MW to 10 GW. • Hydrogen has the potential to meet 5–20% of industrial energy needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is often suggested as a universal fuel that can replace fossil fuels. This paper analyses the feasibility of direct hydrogen utilisation in all energy sectors in a 100% renewable energy system for Europe in 2050 using hour-by-hour energy system analysis. Our results show that using hydrogen for heating purposes has high costs and low energy efficiency. Hydrogen for electricity production is beneficial only in limited quantities to restrict biomass consumption, but increases the system costs due to losses. The transport sector results show that hydrogen is an expensive alternative to liquid e-fuels and electrified transport due to high infrastructure costs and respectively low energy efficiency. The industry sector may benefit from hydrogen to reduce biomass at a lower cost than in the other energy sectors, but electrification and e-methane may be more feasible. Seen from a systems perspective, hydrogen will play a key role in future renewable energy systems, but primarily as e-fuel feedstock rather than direct end-fuel in the hard-to-abate sectors. • Hour-by-hour energy system analysis for direct green hydrogen utilisation in Europe. • Hydrogen for industrial demands can lower biomass consumption. • Power production applications are costly and limited for hydrogen. • Hydrogen for heating is more expensive than heat pumps and district heating. • E-fuels should be the main application for hydrogen in the transport sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]