Accelerating Hydrogen Innovation

“The promised land for hydrogen is that it can be decarbonised fully.”

Hydrogen has the potential to advance the energy transition, but the industry’s current infrastructure needs to be redesigned to support clean hydrogen over its carbon-intensive alternatives.

As Mike Adams explains, this radical shift is possible, but changing the industry will first require a change in mindset.

Mike is Senior Vice President of Capital Management at 8 Rivers: a climate technology company and part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Hydrogen Task Force. They develop clean energy solutions that advance the private sector's journey towards net zero.

Historically, the focus of hydrogen production has been to deliver the lowest cost energy molecule possible regardless of emissions generated. Clean hydrogen, on the other hand, can be defined by the carbon intensity of the molecule. As the industry evolves, both metrics must be factored into the equation.

At scale, clean hydrogen promises to decarbonise hard to abate sectors that can't be fully powered by renewables. So how can we make this vision a reality? According to Mike, innovation and investment are both key.

There is still a cost difference between the production of lower carbon molecules and their grey equivalents. To build these new projects and infrastructure, investors must come to the table. Incentives like production taxes and green bonds can also help to push clean hydrogen beyond the breakthrough, heralding in a new era for the industry.

To learn more about 8 Rivers, visit their website.