European oil and gas firms refocus hydrogen strategies
Companies reduce spending on hydrogen projects as they struggle to find demand
European majors and IOCs are refocusing their hydrogen strategies around projects that have already reached FID amid a wider pivot from low-carbon projects towards traditional fossil fuel production. BP, Equinor, TotalEnergies and Shell are all reducing spending on low-carbon molecules in their capex plans for 2025, citing difficulties in finding customers for hydrogen. Those projects the firms are progressing tend be those focusing on decarbonising their own operations—most frequently refineries—rather than those requiring third-party offtake. BP BP announced on its Capital Markets Day in February that it is planning to cut investments in its transition business to $1.5–2b/yr from more than
Also in this section
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
6 January 2026
Shifts in government policy and rising power demand will shape the clean hydrogen sector as it attempts to gain momentum following a sluggish performance in 2025
23 December 2025
Government backing and inflow of private capital point to breakthrough year for rising star of the country’s clean energy sector
19 December 2025
The hydrogen industry faces an important choice: coordinated co-evolution or patched-together piecemeal development. The way forward is integrated co-evolution, and freight corridors are a good example






