Once considered a key technology in the green energy transition, companies are waking up and finding out that hydrogen isn’t the answer to the challenges posed by renewable energies such as wind and sun.

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“Instead of progress, disillusionment dominates. The EU in particular – especially Germany – is increasingly being criticized for its costly projects,” reports German online Blackout News. “Companies are pulling out”.

Hydrogen is expensive, hazardous and a real technical challenge that doesn’t promise to be economically feasible. The gas is metallurgically aggressive, highly flammable, explosive. It’s chemical properties make a comprehensive infrastructure difficult to manage. Moreover, producing green hydrogen is “barely affordable” and industries are reluctant to use the volatile gas because it risks being unprofitable.

High costs, low demand and political misplanning are currently jeopardizing the strategy, according to an analysis by Westwood Global Energy Group. “Only a fraction of the planned EU hydrogen pipeline is likely to be operational by 2030.”

Germany has funded an ambitious green hydrogen project in Namibia, in a protected desert area and now it may be demolished for port expansion as the country’s new president is reportedly reassessing the project and looking at a potential shift towards the established oil sector. Technical analyses indicate hydrogen is only suitable as a selective energy source.

Unless there is a major change of course, the  EU’s hydrogen strategy risks being a costly failure.