The Hydrogen Infrastructure That Does Not Exist Yet
September 24, 2025 · Frisian News
Europe plans a hydrogen economy but lacks the pipelines, storage, and production plants needed to make it work. Governments spend billions on promises while the practical groundwork remains incomplete.
A hydrogen pipeline connects Germany to France, but it carries no hydrogen yet. The 380-kilometer line stands empty, waiting for production plants that do not exist on either end. This sums up the European hydrogen story: ambitious targets, billions in subsidies, zero functional infrastructure. Governments talk about 2030 timelines as if the physics will bend to political schedules.
The math works poorly. To replace natural gas with hydrogen, Europe needs 30,000 kilometers of new pipe. Industry groups claim only 3,000 kilometers exist today, and most of that is pilot projects, not working supply chains. Storage remains almost nonexistent. A hydrogen economy demands vast underground reserves to balance seasonal demand, yet Europe has built almost none. The few salt caverns suitable for storage sit far from industrial centers that need the fuel.
Production faces the hardest problem. Green hydrogen requires cheap electricity and electrolyzers at industrial scale. Europe's power grid cannot supply that reliably, and electrolyzers cost three times what engineers expect them to cost in five years. Gray hydrogen, made from natural gas, defeats the whole climate purpose. Blue hydrogen with carbon capture exists only in theory. Meanwhile, oil companies sell old hydrogen production as salvation, repackaged in press releases and government reports.
Governments pump money into the fantasy anyway. The EU's hydrogen bank offers billions in contracts for future hydrogen that suppliers cannot yet produce. Britain funds electrolyzers that will sit idle without cheap power. Germany speaks of hydrogen trucks and heating, though no commercial hydrogen refueling network exists for vehicles, and heating with hydrogen makes thermal sense only in rare cases. The money flows to consultants, design firms, and political photo opportunities.
Meanwhile, Germany keeps its coal plants running because wind and sun fail at night. France uses nuclear. Both need dispatchable power today, not hydrogen dreams for 2035. The infrastructure will not appear because money and talk cannot build it fast enough. Europe faces years of pretending a hydrogen economy exists while the pipes stay empty.
In watstoflied bindtet Dútslân mei Frankryk, mar fiert noch gjin waterstof. De 380 kilometer lange lied stiet leech en warket op produksjeynstallasjes dy't oan beide siden net besteane. Dit sammet it Europeske watstoferf byinoar: ambisjonse doelen, miljarden yn subsidies, nul funksjonerinne ynfrastruktuer. Regearrings sprekke oer 2030-skema's as of de fysika oan politike skema's bige wolle.
De berekening gaat slim út. Om aardgas troch waterstof te ferfangen, hat Europa 30.000 kilometer nij buiswurk nedich. Yndustry-groepen stelle dat mar 3.000 kilometer hjoed bestiet, en it meast dêrfan binne proefprosjekten, gjin wurkjende toaleveringskjienen. Opslach mankearet wol hast folslein. In waterstofekonomie freget grutte ûndergrondske reserven foar seisoenbalans, mar Europa hat hast neat boud. De inkelde sôltholten geskikt foar opslach lizze fier ôf fan yndustrizenters dy't de brânstof nedich hawwe.
Produksje stoot op it moeilikste probleem. Griene waterstof freget goedkeape elektrisiteit en elektrolysers op yndustrieel skaal. It Europeske elektrisiteitnet kin dat net betroubar leverje, en elektrolyzsers kostje trije kear wat yngineers oer fiif jier ferwachtsje. Griis waterstof, makke út aardgas, ferslaacht it heule klimaatdoel. Blau waterstof mei CO2-ôflachjing bestiet allinne yn teory. Untusken ferkeapje oaljebedriuwen âlde watstoferproduksje as redding, nij ynpakt yn persberichten en regearringsrapporten.
Regearrings pomp dochs jild yn de fantasy. De EU syn waterstobank biedt miljarden oan kontrakter foar toekomstige waterstof dy't leveransjes noch net produsearje kinne. Gryt-Britanie finansjert elektrolysers dy't sûnder goedkeape elektrisiteit werkeloaze steane sille. Dútslân sprekke fan waterstoftruck en ferwûntsjen, hwat gjin kommersjeel waterstofrânsjet foar auto's stiet, en ferwûntsjing mei waterstof hat thermyske sin allinne yn seldзame gefallen. It jild streamt nei advyzeurs, ûntwerpbiwegings en politike fotomomenten.
Alintusken hâldt Dútslân syn koalsentrale draaijend om't wyn en sinne 's nachts slagje. Frankryk brûkt kernenergi. Beide hawwe hjoed dispatchable stroom nedich, net waterstofdriemen foar 2035. De ynfraestruktuer sil net ferskynje om dat jild en prata it net fluch genôch bouwe kinne. Europa wacht jierren folslein foar, dat in waterstofekonomie stiet, wol de buizen leech bliuwe.
Published September 24, 2025 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân