Pipeline of hydrogen projects only make up 10pc of what is needed to reach net zero
Hydrogen pipeline ‘must grow’ to achieve net zero
Current project announcements leave world 600mn t/yr short of hydrogen by 2050, says consultancy Wood Mackenzie
The current pipeline of hydrogen projects has quadrupled in one year to 64mn t/yr of production—but this is still only 10pc of what will be needed in a net-zero world, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie. The proliferation of national and regional hydrogen strategies since 2018—now totalling 75—has led to an acceleration of project announcements. “But even if all currently announced projects materialise, the market will be short by 600mn t in 2050,” says Flor de la Cruz, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, speaking at the firm’s hydrogen conference. “We need to reach 649mn t/yr of hydrogen production in a net-zero world.” And the project pipeline halves when it is ‘risked’, or ass
Also in this section
4 February 2026
Europe’s largest electrolyser manufacturers are losing patience with policymakers as sluggish growth in the green hydrogen sector undermines their decision to expand production capacity
2 February 2026
As a fertiliser feedstock, it is indispensable, but ammonia’s potential as a carbon-free energy carrier is also making it central to global decarbonisation strategies
28 January 2026
The development of hydrogen’s distribution system must speed up if the industry is to stand any chance of grabbing a meaningful slice of the low-carbon energy market
14 January 2026
Continent’s governments must seize the green hydrogen opportunity by refining policies and ramping up the development of supply chains and infrastructure
