The idea of a hydrogen-based economy has been around since the oil crises of the 1970s, but it has not materialized up to this point. Yet according to Jan Cihlar of Ecofys, a Navigant company, hydrogen could still become a key enabler of the low carbon transition, if it is produced with renewable electricity. The potential of further cost reductions make this a possibility in some applications in transport and industry.
Most hydrogen produced today is used in the petrochemical sector and for manufacturing fertilizers. 99% of it comes from fossil fuel reforming as this has been the most economical pathway. This does not have any real climate benefits, since CO2 is emitted in the process.
