Blue hydrogen emissions claims under spotlight

Assumptions of academic paper highlighting the emissions of blue hydrogen deemed inaccurate by critics

Publication of the paper ‘How green is blue hydrogen?’ in the journal Energy Science and Engineering in mid-August caused controversy in the global hydrogen industry. In the paper, authors Robert Howarth and Mark Jacobson argue blue hydrogen has no role to play in a carbon-free future. “We undertake the first effort in a peer-reviewed paper to examine the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of blue hydrogen, accounting for emissions of both carbon dioxide and unburned fugitive methane,” the academics say. “Far from being low carbon, greenhouse gas emissions from the production of blue hydrogen are quite high, particularly due to the release of fugitive methane.” A number of critics questioned