Our fifth edition of the technical briefing for policymakers in Brussels focused on hydrogen! We were delighted to host a 45-minute briefing co-led by our Cleantech Analyst, Ingrid El Helou, our EU Policy Manager, Marlène Siméon, our Director of Technologies and Impact, Magnolia Tovar, and our Policy and Operations Officer, Liv Hvass Kure Hvaas Kure. Some key points discussed were:
✅ Current and Future Hydrogen Landscape – Today, hydrogen is generated using natural gas and other fossil fuels (~99%), while clean hydrogen accounts for less than 1% of current production. In the future, hydrogen consumption is predicted to increase fourfold.
✅ Hydrogen Prioritization – As a scarce resource, clean hydrogen should be prioritized to decarbonize sectors that are currently dependent on it as an indispensable feedstock, such as fertilizers, chemicals, refining, and clean steel production. Secondary priority must be given to hard-to-abate sectors with few alternative decarbonization solutions, such as long-haul aviation and shipping.
✅ Regret Sectors – Hydrogen as a decarbonization solution should not be pursued in sectors where electrification is the most cost-effective and efficient decarbonization option, such as in buildings, road transport, and power generation.
✅ Challenges and Recommendations – Utilizing hydrogen in novel applications will incur challenges in its handling, transport, storage, and utilization. Recommendations include updating the EU Hydrogen Strategy to encompass guiderails about hydrogen deployment per sector and need assessment.
A big thank you to the attendees for their active participation and we look forward to hosting our second edition in Berlin in January!
For more information on hydrogen, please see our newly released Future Cleantech Factsheet on Hydrogen.