The Hydrogen Stream: EIA sees mostly gray hydrogen in US by 2050

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says US hydrogen production will increase about 80% by 2050, mainly from natural gas with minimal electrolyzer use, while key industry players advance large-scale green hydrogen projects and expand hydrogen vehicle support across global markets.

The Energy Information Administration said that, in most scenarios about the US hydrogen market, production will increase by around 80% in 2050 compared with 2024, and most hydrogen (H2) will come from natural gas through steam methane reforming (SMR). “In most cases, we project less than 1% of hydrogen will be produced via electrolyzers, which use electricity to produce hydrogen from water, regardless of supportive policies,” said the US-based institution, explaining its scenarios derive from conditions before the election of US President Donald Trump. The recently released report also explains that the amount of grey hydrogen produced in 2050 will depend on oil and gas prices, the chemicals market, and demand. “The transportation sector accounts for most of rising hydrogen consumption as hydrogen fuel cells in heavy-duty vehicles are deployed to meet policy standards. When these policies are not in effect, growth in hydrogen in the transportation sector is negligible,” said the semi-independent government agency under the Department of Energy.

Statkraft confirmed its plans for its Shetland Hydrogen Project 2, after agreeing to lease a site owned by Shetland Islands Council, in the United Kingdom. “The proposed scheme is an electrolytic hydrogen to green ammonia production facility of up to 400 MW, on land adjacent to the disused Scatsta Airport which is near the existing Sullom Voe Oil Terminal and Shetland Gas Plant,” said the Norwegian energy company, adding that the green ammonia will be used also for sustainable fuels for marine shipping and to decarbonise fertiliser production. Statkraft has three wind farms on Shetland in pre-construction, Mossy Hill near Lerwick, and Energy Isles and Beaw Field on Yell. “The construction of schemes like Shetland Hydrogen Project 2 will allow excess renewable power that cannot be utilised by the grid to be transformed into hydrogen”. 

GeoPura has acquired assets in Denmark and employed personnel from Green Hydrogen Systems (GHS), laying the groundwork for European expansion. Under the agreement, GeoPura has taken ownership of all spare parts, tools, and fixtures related to the A-Series electrolyser platform. In addition, former GHS employees with deep technical expertise in the support, design, and operation of A-Series electrolysers have joined the GeoPura team,” said the British company. 

Horizon Fuel Cell Group has announced the acquisition of the Intellectual Property of US-based Hyzon Motors to continue serving Hyzon's hydrogen vehicle customers in the US, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. “Hydrogen is the ultimate clean solution for long-haul transportation and other heavy vehicle operations, and will soon be more financially attractive than diesel or battery alternatives,” said George Gu, Chairman of Horizon Fuel Cell Group.

Hyundai Motor Group, in partnership with Neom's energy and water subsidiary Enowa, completed a hydrogen mobility trial in Trojena, the mountains of Neom. “The Group operated its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) coach bus, Universe, on a mountainous route in Trojena, reaching elevations of up to 2,080 meters and gradients of 24 percent. Simulating passenger transport from Neom's future core business district to Trojena, the trial demonstrated vehicle performance and the practicality of hydrogen in high-altitude conditions,” said the South Korean group. Hyundai has started commercial sales of the 2026 model of its Universe fuel-cell bus, saying it has an increased range of up to 960.4 kilometres. 

Rolls-Royce and Ineratec formed a strategic partnership to replace fossil diesel in data centers' emergency power systems with synthetic fuels produced from renewable hydrogen and CO₂. “The companies intend to use Ineratec's synthetic e-Diesel for generators. Initially, the focus will be on German data centers,” said the German company, adding that the synthetic fuels are a cost-efficient solution.