UNLOCKING A CLIMATE-NEUTRAL FUTURE

While electric vehicles continue gaining ground in passenger transport, battery technology hits its limits with heavy-duty trucks, ships, and aircraft. That’s where hydrogen comes into play: fuel cell trucks can travel over 800 kilometers and refuel in minutes—an invaluable edge in logistics. In maritime transport, the first hydrogen-powered ferries are already in service, and Airbus is working intensively on hydrogen propulsion systems for mid-range aircraft. Considering the transport sector accounts for around 20% of global CO₂ emissions, hydrogen could drive a major shift toward climate neutrality here.

Accounting for 7–9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the steel industry urgently needs cleaner processes. Traditionally, steel is produced in blast furnaces using coking coal to reduce iron ore—emitting vast amounts of CO₂. Hydrogen offers a radical alternative: when used in direct reduction, the only by-product is water vapor. Pilot plants in Sweden and Germany have shown promising results. According to the German Steel Federation, switching to hydrogen could cut process-related CO₂ emissions by 25% by 2030. ThyssenKrupp aims to convert its entire steel production to hydrogen by 2045—a potential game changer for one of the world’s most emission-intensive industries.

The chemical industry is not only energy-intensive—it also relies heavily on fossil raw materials to create everyday products. A prime example is ammonia, the key ingredient in nitrogen-based fertilizers essential to modern agriculture. Ammonia production currently accounts for about 1% of global CO₂ emissions. Using green hydrogen, ammonia can be produced with a near-zero carbon footprint—and large-scale plants are already coming online. Beyond ammonia, hydrogen can serve as a base for methanol, synthetic fuels, and many other chemicals, making it possible to decouple large parts of the sector from fossil resources.

One of the biggest hurdles in the clean energy transition is seasonal storage: how can we preserve excess solar power from summer for use in winter? Hydrogen offers a compelling answer. Through electrolysis, surplus electricity can be used to split water into hydrogen, which is then stored in underground caverns or fed into the existing gas grid. When needed, the hydrogen can be converted back into electricity—or used directly. In the Netherlands, the "HyStock" project is demonstrating exactly how this works. Technologies like this could play a vital role in stabilizing energy systems that are increasingly shaped by the weather and seasons.

Roughly a third of Germany’s energy consumption goes toward heating—most of it still powered by fossil fuels. Hydrogen could offer an alternative, especially in older buildings where full retrofitting is often impractical. Modern condensing boilers can already operate with hydrogen blends, and pure hydrogen heating systems are in development. In the UK, the “H21 Leeds City Gate” project is testing the conversion of an entire urban district to hydrogen heating. One key advantage: much of the existing gas infrastructure can be reused, reducing the need for costly overhauls.