Low-carbon hydrogen: sensing the path to large-scale deployment

Long considered the energy carrier of the future, hydrogen has apparently entered a new era. With massive recovery plans in Europe heavily focused on the production and uses (mobility, industry) of the molecule in its low-carbon form, and the multiplication of hydrogen-centric projects at the cross-roads of the energy, industry and mobility sectors around the globe, the molecule is increasingly perceived as a realistic and systemic option to speed up the decarbonization of the world economy.

In this report, we explore this nascent industry, highlighting:

• The cases where uses of the molecule in its low-carbon forms (green hydrogen produced through low-carbon electrolysis and blue hydrogen produced through CCS-equipped steam methane reforming) can have a meaningful contribution to climate change mitigation;
• The hurdles that need to be overcome for the molecule and its end-uses to find large-scale deployment and
• The presently-emerging avenues followed to spark a virtuous cycle of increased demand and lower costs all along the value chain.