Hydrogen fuel a ‘dead end’ for net zero
The fuel is expensive, inefficient and associated with worse environmental impacts than other options when it comes to heating and transport, argues Hydrogen Science Coalition
Hydrogen as a fuel for heating and transport is too inefficient and expensive a route for the world to take if it is to reach net zero by 2050, according to David Cebon, a professor at the University of Cambridge and a member of thinktank the Hydrogen Science Coalition. “The most effective use cases for green hydrogen to reduce emissions are exactly what it is used for now,” Cebon argues, highlighting fertilisers, petrochemicals and glass as carbon-intensive sectors where hydrogen is used in vast quantities. Steelmaking, responsible for 7–8pc of global emissions, is a sector where hydrogen could replace coking coal to directly reduce iron. “In all these industrial processes, hydrogen will be

Also in this section
21 March 2025
European Hydrogen Bank auction is four times oversubscribed, while industry remains on pause in US amid IRA subsidy uncertainty
21 March 2025
The country is engaging with potential investors from North America and China as it refines its auction process to reflect shifting dynamics in green hydrogen, Hydrom’s managing director tells Hydrogen Economist
13 March 2025
Government awards €1.21b of funding to seven large-scale projects as it chases capacity target of 12GW by 2030
12 March 2025
Speakers at this year’s CERAWeek conference noted the growing interest in green hydrogen, but hurdles such as cost remain to its adoption at scale