When Europe’s Economic Institutions Step Away From Hydrogen - CleanTechnica

The article discusses a significant shift in the stance of Europe’s leading economic institutions—Germany’s Council of Economic Experts and France’s Conseil d’analyse économique—regarding the role of hydrogen in the transport sector. Their joint analysis, focusing on heavy road transport, concluded that battery electric trucks are more efficient, cost-effective, and quicker to deploy than hydrogen fuel cell trucks. This is due to the higher energy conversion efficiency of battery electric vehicles (about 75%) compared to hydrogen trucks (around 25% after accounting for electrolysis, compression, distribution, and reconversion losses). The councils recommended prioritizing public investments in electricity grids and charging infrastructure, while reserving hydrogen for sectors where electrification is not viable. They also suggested removing plans and budgets for hydrogen refueling stations and synthetic fuels from national and EU targets. Supporting this perspective, the European Court of Auditors found that hydrogen’s cost per ton of CO₂ avoided in transport is substantially higher—often exceeding €400 and sometimes nearing €600—