Germany’s Audit Court Calls Time on Hydrogen Inevitability - CleanTechnica

Germany’s Federal Audit Court released a statutory budgetary assessment in October 2025 critically evaluating the country’s hydrogen strategy against legal requirements including security of supply, affordability, environmental sustainability, climate neutrality, and fiscal prudence. Despite substantial funding—€4.3 billion allocated in 2024 and over €3 billion in 2025—the audit finds the hydrogen strategy failing these tests. It calls for a reality check and alternative plans, warning that continuing on the current path risks Germany’s climate goals, industrial competitiveness, and federal finances. The report highlights a significant shortfall between planned and actual hydrogen production and imports: domestic electrolysis capacity is far below targets, and Germany’s projected import demand would require securing an implausible share of global green hydrogen supply. The audit also reveals that expected hydrogen demand from industrial users and power plants has not materialized as anticipated. Several subsidized steel projects have been delayed or withdrawn, and hydrogen’s role in the power sector has been scaled back, with fewer hydrogen