Buildings sector ‘not suited’ to hydrogen

Study argues green hydrogen would be better used for applications that have no alternative decarbonisation pathways, such as heavy industry

Green hydrogen does not offer economically viable and scalable solutions to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals for the buildings sector and has limited potential for the power sector, according to a new US study. The US Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act last year allocated $8bn to support regional hydrogen demonstration hubs, including at least two to explore the fuel’s use for heating and power generation. But the idea that natural gas infrastructure can be repurposed to carry hydrogen is a false premise, with heating better suited to electrification, according to the peer-reviewed study by energy thinktank Energy Innovation, titled Assessing the Viability of Hydrogen Proposals.