Remember that study that found that “blue” hydrogen (produced from natural gas using a carbon-capture technique) may be worse for the planet than coal?
“That study was apparently a tipping point for Chris Jackson, who this week stepped down as chair of the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association…” reports Ars Technica. Jackson wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing his resignation, “while there might not be a single ‘right’ answer, there are answers that are wrong.”
Jackson continues by saying that blue hydrogen is “at best an expensive distraction, and at worst a lock-in for continued fossil fuel use” which would derail goals that the country and the world have set for decarbonizing the economy. He takes particular issue with the fact that oil and gas companies have asked the UK government for decades of subsidies while also claiming that blue hydrogen will be inexpensive to produce. “If the false claims made by oil companies about the cost of blue hydrogen were true, their projects would make a profit by 2030,” he told The Guardian. “Instead, they’re asking taxpayers for billions in subsidies for the next 25 years. They should tell the government they don’t need it. The fact that they don’t tells you everything you need to know.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.