Can green methods of production help hydrogen live up to the hype?

Considering hydrogen is the most abundant, fundamental element in the universe, it engenders no end of engineering complexity. Its potential as both a clean energy vector and a mode of storage has seen it hailed by many as a key pillar of the energy transition. Others, however, see it as a massive, inefficient folly driven largely by the fossil fuel giants, eager to continue selling us chemical fuels of whatever stripe they can, regardless of environmental credentials or practicality.

In 2022, global hydrogen production was valued at over $155 billion, with that figure expected to grow at an annual rate of around 10 per cent through to 2030. Virtually all of this hydrogen – 99 per cent – is derived from fossil fuels, predominantly steam methane reforming of natural gas. For every ton of hydrogen produced this way – known as grey hydrogen - 10 tons of CO2 is released into the atmosphere. If the CO2 is captured, the hydrogen is referred to as blue, something the oil and gas majors have a particular interest in, for obvious reasons.