Technological and Economic Barriers to Hydrogen Energy Growth

The sharp change in the geopolitical situation after the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine is already affecting the global energy markets. The gradual phasing out of Russian energy carriers announced by European countries puts on the agenda not only new energy routes but also new alternative energy sources. Most likely, it should be expected that the Glasgow Climate Pact will not be implemented, and the phase-out of coal as the most environmentally destructive fossil fuel will be delayed for many years. The impossibility of quickly abandoning fossil fuels, primarily coal and oil, has already become one of the reasons for the search for new energy sources with a neutral or low carbon footprint. Energy based on renewable sources such as the wind and the sun, although it has developed rapidly in the last 30 years, has not yet become a serious alternative to traditional energy based on oil, coal, and gas. This largely explains the increased interest in hydrogen as an energy source. However, there are still significant barriers to the development of hydrogen energy, primarily technological and economic. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the main barriers to the use of hydrogen as a competitive source of major fossil fuels.