The UK’s seventh Contracts for Difference (CfD) renewable energy auction (AR7) was a success. It secured record volumes of offshore wind capacity and reinforced the UK’s position as a global leader in renewable electricity deployment. This momentum is vital if the UK is to run the electricity system largely on clean power by 2030 and reduce electricity costs.

But AR7 highlights a hard truth: delivering clean generation is only half the job. Without parallel investment in networks and clean flexibility, costly system inefficiencies will worsen, including wind curtailment and continued reliance on gas imports.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

In 2026, the hydrogen industry will no longer be judged by the scale of its project pipeline or the volume of its announcements. It will, however, be judged by what actually gets built and who is willing to buy the product.

After a reset signalled at the Hydrogen Council’s 2025 CEO summit in South Korea – at the end of a year of consolidation – 2026 will be a point where the industry must show that its newfound realism can translate into commercial action.

The euphoric phase of 2021–2023 is firmly behind us. In 2026, large parts of the markets will be asking one question: where is the hydrogen actually flowing?

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

After several years of major policy wins, billions of dollars of pledged investments, and large-scale projects announced all around the world, 2025 saw an abrupt shift in hydrogen activity. The US hydrogen industry finds itself at a critical juncture with the federal government adjusting its policies, companies restructuring their business focus, as well as the pausing or cancellation of some planned projects and contracts.

Despite these headwinds, the US industry has continued to stand strong, defending and even extending key hydrogen and fuel cell policies while expanding our footprint across the US with new facilities, partnerships, and innovations. Thanks to a unified association, committed coalitions, relentless advocacy, and hydrogen’s flexibility in how it is produced, distributed, stored, and used, our industry is still poised to thrive and make real progress in 2026 and beyond.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

The introduction of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on 1 January 2026 was supposed to herald the beginning of a golden age for European green steel. Yet recent industry headlines suggest a more uncertain outlook.

High-profile projects are seeking new sources of funding, and concerns around energy costs, regulation and competitiveness continue to serve as a drag on investment decisions. While producers are not rejecting government subsidy support outright, many are signalling that current conditions make large-scale transitions difficult, leaving confidence in Europe’s green steel ambitions visibly strained and its future uncertain.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

Ask anyone in the UK hydrogen sector and you’ll get the same story: a market stuck at the starting line while the world powers away in the distance. Ministers are quick to quote big numbers, with £2bn ($2.6bn) committed to the first Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1). But the plan was to kickstart a world-leading hydrogen industry. Instead, most of that funding may never leave Whitehall, and the meagre output we’re getting in return is humbling.

When HAR1 was announced with 11 projects and 125MW of planned capacity, it sounded like a step forward. Nearly two years on, just one project, HyMarnham, is actually under construction. Most of the others are either wrestling with spiralling costs or, in the case of Scottish Power’s Whitelee and Cromarty, are now paused indefinitely.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

Across shipping, chemicals, and heavy industry, the demand for low-carbon fuels is rising fast. Methanol has emerged as a leading candidate – it’s versatile, easy to handle without slippage, and already has a large global market, although in its fossil form.

But there is a hard truth that must be confronted: producing green methanol at scale is still too expensive in many places. For security and climate reasons, transitioning away from imported fossil fuels makes sense. However, this transition cannot come at the sacrifice of competitiveness. Instead, we must find a method to make the two a prerequisite.

At European Energy, we have spent the past few years proving what’s possible with e-methanol. Our facility in Kassø, Denmark, began operations earlier this year and is now delivering green methanol to offtakers such as A.P. Moller-Maersk, Novo Nordisk, and the LEGO Group. The facility uses renewable electricity to produce hydrogen through electrolysis, which is then combined with captured biogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) to make e-methanol.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

Twain’s (mis)quote – “reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” – may be a well-worn cliche for new markets and industries, but in the case of hydrogen, the point still holds. Commentators have been quick to focus on postponed or abandoned projects, bankruptcies, and cost challenges. 

These are undeniable, especially after the optimism of the 2021-2023 peak that drove the first wave of announcements. But they do not tell the full story. The reality is more nuanced and much more encouraging.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

In 2024, China installed more than 360GW of renewable electricity, a scale unmatched anywhere in the world. But this rapid build-out of wind and solar has outpaced grid capacity, creating challenges for stability, storage, and industrial integration. Surplus clean power is often stranded in inland provinces, highlighting the need for flexible solutions.

This is fuelling the rise of Power-to-X (P2X): technologies that turn renewable electricity into storable, transportable fuels such as green ammonia, sustainable methanol, e-SNG, and other e-fuels. For a country aiming to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve neutrality by 2060, P2X is not only technical; it is strategic.

Johnson Matthey (JM), with decades of expertise in catalysis and low-carbon technologies, is adapting its solutions to China’s industrial and policy environment. From enabling clean methanol production at scale to forming partnerships with leading power and engineering firms, P2X is demonstrating how it can become a cornerstone of the global energy transition.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

Across the globe, the push for industrial decarbonisation has shifted from ambition to urgent necessity. According to the IEA, industrial sectors collectively account for roughly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and in heavy industry – from steelmaking to fertiliser production – hydrogen is emerging as one of the most promising solutions.

Data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance also shows that industrial hydrogen off-takers are increasingly concentrated in steel, ammonia, methanol, and refining: sectors that are difficult to electrify but suitable for hydrogen adoption.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.

The UK is set to decide on whether to allow up to 2% hydrogen blending by volume in the National Transmission System, with the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) opening a consultation on the measure in July.

It’s a significant moment, given that it outlined the government’s “minded to” position on allowing it. While many policymakers and industry players will focus on the technical and commercial complexity, one crucial element remains uncertain: public support.

This is a paid article, to read the article in full you can sign in if you are subscribed or subscribe today.