Letter on hydrogen: Reality check

Policymakers are under pressure to reset their hydrogen strategies after a challenging first half of 2024, though recent project FIDs have provided some summer cheer for the industry

Hydrogen policymakers will be feeling the heat as they head off for their summer breaks after a challenging first half of the year. The ever more complex regulations they have wrapped around the clean hydrogen industry are under increasing scrutiny, while the support for the wider net-zero project is under strain as the public’s understanding of its vast expense grows. Throw in the uncertainty over the possible policy environment for hydrogen following the US elections later this year, and the near-term outlook for project developers as they return from vacations looks cloudy. Policymakers must surely hit the reset button soon if they are to retain investor interest in clean hydrogen project