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
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
