Hydrogen Development in a Complex Energy Transition Period
Introduction
Hello everyone. I am Virginie Cartier, associate professor at UCLY, Confluence Sciences and Humanities research unit, specializing in renewable energy issues — hydrogen, biogas — and more broadly in CSR with a strong environmental focus.
Today I would like to share an overview of hydrogen development in a complex period of energy transition.
Climate Context and European Framework
IPCC results are concerning ahead of COP30: the +1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement in 2015 will likely not be met. We are heading toward more than 2°C.
Three major European texts structure the regulatory framework:
— The European Green Deal
— The REPowerEU plan, triggered by natural gas supply difficulties linked to the war in Ukraine
— The Fit for 55 package, which explicitly integrates hydrogen
French Ambitions
Previous projections targeted 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030, combining domestic production and imports. These figures were linked to the previous PPE; the new one is not yet finalized, and the National Low-Carbon Strategy remains pending.
A key document was nonetheless published in March 2025: the National Decarbonized Hydrogen Strategy, produced by France Nation Verte, projecting decarbonized hydrogen consumption of approximately 520 kilotonnes per year by 2030 in the most optimistic scenario.
Current and Future Uses of Hydrogen
According to the European Hydrogen Observatory (2023), hydrogen today — still predominantly carbon-intensive — is consumed as follows:
— ~95% in industry: refining, chemicals, cement, fertilizers
— 0.01% for electricity generation
— 0.02% for e-fuels
The decarbonization of industry therefore remains the primary challenge, even before mobility.
Hydrogen Mobility
Fuel cell technology is not new — an American tractor already ran on a fuel cell in the mid-twentieth century.
In 2023, Europe counted over 18,000 hydrogen vehicles, from passenger cars to trucks.
Trains
— Advantages: lower initial investment than electric trains (no overhead lines needed), faster refueling than battery trains
— Disadvantages: further technological improvement still needed, complexity of refueling stations, safety constraints
In Germany, the rail operator postponed its Alstom hydrogen train order to maintain fossil-fuel trains for one additional year.
Ships
Very Low Sulphur Fuel regulatory requirements mandate the replacement of fossil fuels by 2030 (hydrogen, ammonia, methanol) and 2035 (LPG, LNG, CNG). The Energy Observer illustrates this transition with its solar panels generating the electricity needed to produce hydrogen.
Aircraft
The development of hydrogen aircraft requires lightweight and high-performance tanks, adapted electronics, dedicated airport infrastructure, and updated certifications and legislation.
The Hydrogen Ecosystem and Infrastructure
RTE projects an increase in electricity consumption by 2050. To balance supply and demand between production and consumption sites, two complementary levers have been identified:
— Flexible and adaptable electrolyzers
— Transport and storage infrastructure
The Decline of Natural Gas as an Opportunity
GRTgaz, Terega and GRDF project a 30% decline in natural gas consumption by 2030. The IEA additionally estimates that repurposing an existing pipeline from natural gas to hydrogen costs 50 to 80% less than building a new one. These two factors make a strong case for the progressive conversion of the existing gas network.
Major Hydrogen Pipelines in France
Several infrastructure projects are underway:
— Barmar: Barcelona → Marseille (initially natural gas, hydrogen in the long term)
— Inframed: Fos-sur-Mer → Manosque (underground storage in salt caverns)
— HYfen: Fos-sur-Mer → Grand Est, to supply the Chemistry Valley around Lyon
— Dune: Dunkirk → Belgium
— Mosaïque: Moselle (France) → Germany
— Atlantique: Saint-Nazaire → Paris region
Underground Storage: The Hypster Project
France benefits from numerous underground storage sites — aquifers and salt caverns. The Hypster project, funded by Europe as a Project of Common Interest (PCI), created a salt cavern specifically dedicated to hydrogen storage.
End of 2024: first hydrogen molecules injected.
Currently: cycling phase to verify performance, tightness and absence of bacterial reactions. The initial electrolyzer capacity is 1 MW, with a target of 3 MW, powered by 20 MW of local solar, wind or hydro energy.
Three Strategic Priorities
Hydrogen fits into three major priorities:
— Industrial decarbonization: refining, chemicals, fertilizers, steel, cement — the largest consumption segment
— Mobility decarbonization: with a priority focus on long-distance heavy transport (trucks, trains, ships), more relevant than private cars
— Energy independence: producing locally to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, while complementing the energy mix through electricity storage in the form of hydrogen
Challenges Ahead
— Costly research and development to solve technical difficulties
— Major financing needs to achieve competitiveness
— Construction and repurposing of gas infrastructure
— Updating regulations and cross-border interconnection policies
— Human resources training: specialized technicians and engineers
— White hydrogen development: reserves have been discovered in southwestern and eastern France, but extraction methods still need to be industrialized and regulated
Q&A
On projection assumptions — Current consumption figures are real. Decarbonized hydrogen projections are based on industrial decarbonization scenarios and heavy mobility estimates, adjusted by regulatory developments.
On the Hypster project — The stored hydrogen is produced by electrolysis from local renewable energy. The target is to reach 3 MW of electrolysis capacity.
On the global production breakdown — Approximately 95 to 96% of hydrogen produced today is grey (from hydrocarbon cracking). The most active regions for decarbonized hydrogen in France include Burgundy and the Grenoble area.
On pink hydrogen — Hydrogen produced by electrolysis using nuclear electricity is technically called pink hydrogen, distinct from green hydrogen (renewables).
