Hydrogen will be a “central element” in the Energy System Integration Strategy that the European Commission will present in June, the EU’s energy chief Kadri Simson has said.

During an online debate, Simson flagged the upcoming building renovation wave and offshore wind as “the first two areas of work” for the energy sector in the recovery phase from the coronavirus crisis, according to Euractiv.com.

“But the third area amplifies the impact of both, bringing them together into one connected system. This is Energy System Integration,” she said.

By linking traditionally separated sectors of the energy system – like electricity and gas – the European Commission hopes to create synergies that will allow integrating more renewables and decarbonise industrial sectors that are currently lagging behind.

It also enables a more efficient energy system overall, for example when using excess renewable electricity that would otherwise be curtailed to produce hydrogen that can be stored for later use.

Electrification, low-carbon gases, digitalisation and storage all play a role in completing the picture, or “joining the dots” as the Commissioner put it.