The Truth About Hydrogen

The briefing positions hydrogen as a necessary partner to electrification in the energy transition, particularly for heavy industry and long-range transport. It details the transition from fossil-fuel-based 'grey' and 'blue' hydrogen to 'green' hydrogen produced via renewable-powered electrolysis. The text highlights hydrogen's potential to decarbonize mineral extraction and steelmaking, while noting that global production must scale significantly from current levels to align with science-based climate pathways.

• Hydrogen and electrification are complementary rather than competing solutions; a blend of both is likely required for low-carbon transport, freight, and heavy industry.
• Global hydrogen production grew from approximately 40 million tons in 2005 to 60 million tons recently. The market value was estimated at $103 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach $207 billion by 2026, with potential annual demand of 425–650 million tons by 2050 according to the Energy Transition Commission (ETC).
• Current hydrogen production is dominated by fossil fuels: natural gas accounts for 48%, oil for 30%, and coal for 18%. Green hydrogen, produced via electrolysis using renewable energy, represents only 4% of global production.
• Hydrogen can decarbonize industrial value chains by powering on-site haul trucks in mining, providing high-heat for processing, and replacing coking coal in steelmaking to reduce iron ore.
• Hard-to-abate industrial sectors are responsible for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and require both electrification and clean molecular energy to align with 1.5-degree pathways.

APA

RMI (2019). The Truth About Hydrogen. https://rmi.org/resources/the-truth-about-hydrogen/

Chicago

RMI. The Truth About Hydrogen. 2019. https://rmi.org/resources/the-truth-about-hydrogen/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Truth About Hydrogen |date=20 August 2019 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/the-truth-about-hydrogen/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2019truth, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Truth About Hydrogen}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2019}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/the-truth-about-hydrogen/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }