Green hydrogen hype gives way to project reality

Collaboration has become crucial to success as projects turn out to be more complex and expensive than previously thought, industry figures tell Dubai conference

Several developers of green hydrogen projects have proclaimed that “a reality check” has kicked in after the hype for big developments has failed to lead to execution due to escalating costs, unexpected complexities and delays to completion timelines. “There was a bit of a reality check in 2024,” Stephan Gobert, Engie’s senior vice-president for hydrogen AMEA, told the Connecting Hydrogen MENA conference in Dubai. “Many projects have been shelved. They are either too early, [or] too big.” Engie is one of the developers that has had to push back its targets, with the timeline for reaching 4GW in green hydrogen capacity postponed to 2035 from 2030. However, the French company will stick to its