Hydrogen economy faces technical hurdles

Getting details right will be crucial to the widespread deployment of hydrogen infrastructure

Being a clean, emission-free fuel, hydrogen is commonly referenced as a key component of the energy transition, providing a decarbonisation option for hard-to-abate sectors, including some forms of transport and space heating. Forecasts across the energy sector suggest a rapid and large expansion of hydrogen production, transport and utilisation. However, commentators have so far bypassed discussion of the detailed technical requirements of such a large industrial roll-out of hydrogen. In this article, we will review some key practical elements of the hydrogen roll-out to explain some of the complexities that need to be mitigated for large-scale hydrogen market development. Low energy densit