''Green Hydrogen Is Basically Impossible'': A Reality Check

By EVWorld SI

Sky News recently aired an interview with Aidan Morrison, Director of Energy Research at Australia''s Centre for Independent Studies, who asserted that green hydrogen is "basically impossible" to make work. Here''s an evidence-based assessment of that claim and its wider implications.

What Morrison Says

• Green hydrogen production remains a niche enterprise, with no large-scale successes yet.
• Inefficiencies in electrolysis, high costs, and limited infrastructure render it impractical for mainstream energy use.

How Valid Are Those Points?

Independent sources largely support Morrison's concern about scale—but describe the situation as “challenging,” not “impossible.”

• The 2025 *Wikipedia* update on hydrogen reports that green hydrogen accounted for only ~0.04% of global production in 2021, and remains roughly 3× more costly than grey hydrogen as of 2024 :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
• Recent techno-economic modeling shows green hydrogen costs between US $3.50–$6.00 per kg, while grey hydrogen is priced at US $1.50–$2.50 per kg
• Competitiveness hinges on low-cost renewables, electrolyzer-scale efficiencies, and strong public incentives like tax credits or carbon pricing .

Broader Limitations & Concerns

• No major country has yet deployed green hydrogen in substantial volume for power, heating, or transport.
• Storage and transport remain costly and energy-intensive—especially for liquids or ammonia derivatives.
• Leakage of hydrogen contributes to indirect global warming, and lifecycle emissions depend heavily on grid emissions and CO₂ sourcing .

What About Global Warming and Net-Zero Goals?

Green hydrogen can significantly reduce emissions—but only if produced with renewable energy and low-carbon inputs. It's best suited to sectors that are hard to electrify, like steelmaking, chemical synthesis, long-duration energy storage, shipping, and aviation :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}.

Final Take for EVWorld Readers

Morrison's assessment underscores major economic and scale barriers facing green hydrogen—but overstates the case in labeling it “impossible.” Green hydrogen is costly and nascent today, yet not wholly unworkable. With accelerated innovation and policy support, pilot-scale projects and sector-specific deployments are increasingly viable, though widespread adoption remains years away.

Green hydrogen may still play a crucial—but targeted—role in achieving net-zero emissions: especially in industrial and transport niches lacking better decarbonization options.

Sources & Further Reading

• ScienceDirect – hydrogen analysis (related context)
• Green hydrogen definition and cost context
• Techno-economic analysis of hydrogen production (Curcio, 2025)
• Critiques of hydrogen hype and leakage effects

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