Renewable and low carbon gases are crucial for the success of the energy transition and our long-term objective of net neutrality as they enable the integration of renewable energy sources into the system and decarbonise final energy consumption with hydrogen likely to become the second largest energy carrier in final demand and biomethane gradually replacing natural gas. 

Gaseous fuels significantly increase the resilience of the energy transition. Firstly as they offer an insurance policy if ambitions transitions pathways that rely strongly on electrification and energy efficiency don’t materialise. Secondly as the existing network and storage infrastructure can be repurposed and serves as back up if electricity infrastructure build-out is delayed. 

Effectively leveraging the potential of renewable and low-carbon gases can lower the overall costs of the energy transition, resulting in a more affordable system in the long term. On one hand, renewable gases enable the harnessing of domestic renewable energy sources; on the other, they contribute to a diversified and cost-efficient supply mix that taps into global resources. Energy transition pathways that put too much emphasis on electrification result in enormous investment in end-user applications and grid infrastructure, leading to overall higher costs to consumers.