Project delays grow amid policy uncertainty
Greater regulatory clarity and support for demand will be critical for tackling project delays over next two years, say Hydrogen Council and McKinsey
Delays to the rollout of clean hydrogen projects have worsened over the past 12 months, and the industry needs a significant “investment jump” to fulfil its potential role in meeting climate commitments, according to joint analysis by lobby group the Hydrogen Council and management consultants McKinsey. To accelerate the global energy system decarbonisation, an eightfold increase of investment in hydrogen is required until 2030, compared with the current commitment of $75b to projects that have achieved FID, they said in a joint report titled Hydrogen Insights 2024. This is despite an “extraordinary sevenfold increase” in hydrogen projects reaching FID globally over the past four years, the
Also in this section
9 March 2026
Hydrogen has not stalled in the UK because the technology does not work. The problem is that the system around it does not yet move at the speed required
4 March 2026
Turmoil in Middle East reminds nascent clean hydrogen sector that its future prospects are dependent on global energy markets and geopolitics
25 February 2026
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
18 February 2026
Norwegian energy company has dropped a major hydrogen project and paused its CCS expansion plans as demand fails to materialise
