“Clean” hydrogen may not play a major role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the global energy sector for at least another 10 years because of challenges such as building infrastructure to transport and move the fuel, according to a new report.
“Even as projects proliferate, [clean] hydrogen’s emergence as a decarbonizing tool will be slow,” said the report this month from research firm Moody’s Analytics.
Among the challenges facing the industry is the current cost of electrolyzers, devices that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. “Green” hydrogen produced through this process — which is known as electrolysis — is not only more costly than traditional hydrogen production, but more expensive than producing “blue” fuel with carbon capture, Moody’s said.
Wider renewable deployment, more buyers of fuel and “supportive regulatory frameworks” are also needed to boost clean hydrogen, the report said.
