Hydrogen use proliferation could cut climate benefits

Government support should be targeted at the hydrogen use cases that have the greatest emissions reduction potential

Among the lively debates and disagreements at the virtual World Hydrogen Congress in late September one thing appeared clear—there is a wide variety of competing use cases for hydrogen which offer an equally wide range of ­emission abatement. In the enthusiasm to build the hydrogen economy, there is a danger the limited potential volumes of low or zero-carbon supply will not find their way into the areas which offer the greatest mitigation impact. Its prized flexibility could undermine its effect. “Hydrogen needs to contribute to climate mitigation—hydrogen has to be carbon-neutral,” Dries Acke, director, energy systems programme at the non-profit European Climate Foundation (ECF), said at t