Momentum behind hydrogen and ammonia falters

Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said

Momentum behind the development of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia as energy sources has noticeably cooled over the past two years, with projects advancing unevenly amid high costs, policy uncertainty and weak commercial pull. At LNG2026’s ‘The Catalyst for Hydrogen and Ammonia’ session, panellists said that, while hydrogen and ammonia continued to attract some strategic interest, progress has been slower and messier than anticipated. FIDs have thinned after a peak of enthusiasm in 2023. At the same time, accelerating energy demand—driven in part by AI—has reinforced the role of natural gas as an anchor fuel rather than a temporary bridge. A reality check Ed Crooks, vice chairman of energy A