Global Consortium Launches Real-World Hydrogen Emission Study Using Breakthrough Detection Tech

A major international research effort is now underway in the Netherlands and the US to get a real handle on hydrogen emissions in the real world—using some seriously cutting-edge tech and techniques. This ambitious study brings together industry giants like Air Liquide and Shell, the tech wizards at Aerodyne Research, and a few powerhouse universities. Their mission? To figure out exactly how much hydrogen might be leaking from today’s growing hydrogen infrastructure.

They’re also using a smart trick borrowed from past methane studies: a tracer-release method that lets them track leaks that would otherwise slip by unnoticed.

Why this matters — and what’s at stake

The team expects to have hard data and insights ready by September 2025. And that data could end up being a game-changer. Why? Because policy decisions around hydrogen—especially when it comes to programs like the EU Fit for 55 and America’s Inflation Reduction Act—hinge on knowing how clean and efficient green hydrogen really is. With as much as $2.3 trillion on the line in global hydrogen investments, confirming the actual hydrogen emissions from infrastructure is no longer a “nice to know”—it’s absolutely crucial.

Simply put, this project is about more than just science. The results will help shape how countries build out hydrogen production systems, what standards those systems will have to meet, and whether hydrogen truly has what it takes to lead the charge in industrial decarbonization.