Research Topic:
Hydrogen for Future
Supervisors:
Dr Don Slater (Department of Sociology) and Dr Rebecca Elliott (Department of Sociology)
Research Interests:
Sociology of Climate Change, Science and Technology Studies, Economic Sociology, Cultural Theory, Participatory Research Methods, Just Transition
Thesis Abstract
The decarbonisation of modern energy use poses one of the key challenges for societies around the world. In response to the 2015 Paris Climate Change agreement and the emergence of a global climate movement in 2019, hydrogen has been positioned by numerous governments and multinational energy companies as one of the most important energy materials for addressing this challenge. In my work, I am asking for the assumptions and aspirations underlying the production and use of hydrogen as a chemical decarbonisation substance which results in the formula “Hydrogen for Future”.
Researching the early deployment of hydrogen projects in Aberdeen, the former self-proclaimed “Oil and Gas Capital of Europe”, I am asking how and with which socio-ecological consequences hydrogen has become one of the central elements of the city’s future. Through event ethnography, participatory action research, and semi-structured panel interviews, I identified three key pillars which are crucial for shaping the assumptions and aspirations of “Hydrogen for Future”:
- Political and economic willingness or unwilligness to embrace renewable energy technologies and skills.
- Collaborative versus behind-the-scenes decision making that includes or excludes key stakeholders.
- Linear versus non-linear understanding of energy production and use, leading to the repetition or transformation of the carbon past.
Building on the findings of my research, I am currently exploring transformative pathways for decentralised and green hydrogen production and use as part of a Knowledge Exchange and Impact (KEI) funded project in collaboration with Dr Annabel Pinker and Prof Alison Hester.
Publications
Hollenhorst, J (2023) Why hydrogen’s carbon past matters for hydrogen futures. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 32(2), pp. 225-229. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.32.2.4
Hollenhorst, J (2023) Why local protest is an important counterweight to the oil and gas lobby LSE British Politics and Policy: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/why-local-protest-is-an-important-counterweight-to-the-oil-and-gas-lobby/
Hollenhorst, J (2023) Book review: Climate Activism: How Communities Take Renewable Energy Actions Across Business and Society, Mobilization: An International Quarterly 28(2), pp. 272-273. https://doi.org/10.17813/1086-671X-28-2-267