Blue hydrogen strategies carry risks – ANU

National plans that lack details on blue hydrogen specifications may not reduce emissions, say academics

Hydrogen strategies that promote blue as well as green varieties of the fuel carry significant risks and could lead to greater greenhouse gas emissions, according to new research from the Australian National University (ANU). Many countries’ hydrogen strategies typically define ‘clean hydrogen’ as including both green and blue versions. While green hydrogen has no emissions, the emissions from blue hydrogen production can vary widely depending on carbon-capture rates and upstream fugitive methane emissions. “At the moment, discussions about clean hydrogen lead to a lot of uncertainty about emissions intensity of what a future hydrogen industry would be,” says Thomas Longden, an energy econo