Bad, worse, hydrogen

The last time I wrote about green hydrogen was three short weeks ago but it appears that certain processes in that field are gathering momentum so an update is in order. It’s going to be depressing. There will be no hot beverage warning today. Seriously, things are grim, as in, Grim Reaper-grim.

The grimness started with a TechCrunch report from early November, in which the formerly tech website exposed BP for the horrible monster that it is, citing its third-quarter report, which mentioned the company was pulling out of not one, not two but, to cut a long story short, 18 hydrogen projects. Naturally, TechCrunch was furious. Naturally, nobody but TechCrunch cares.

“Tucked inside a 32-page earnings report, oil and gas giant BP revealed it was killing 18 early-stage hydrogen projects, a move that could have a chilling effect on the nascent hydrogen industry,” TC reported, to add that “The hydrogen industry, which has relied on oil and gas companies both financially and through lobbying efforts, is preparing for a grimmer outcome.” How unfortunate.

BP itself put it more plainly, saying that it was axing the 18 hydrogen projects as part of efforts to save money — $200 million per year to be precise. These are not just any hydrogen projects, you understand. We’re talking about green hydrogen projects specifically because they are the ones that have “the potential to reduce carbon pollution,” per TC and could president-elect Trump please impose some tariffs on that publication after he’s done with BRICS? Media should be penalised financially for using paradoxical phrases with the singular purpose of manipulating public opinion.

Less than a month after TechCrunch made its stunning revelation, Norsk Hydro said it was cutting all investments in green hydrogen — and batteries, but let’s forget about batteries. Hydro, because of course it’s changed its name, doesn’t want anything to do with green hydrogen anymore. Shall we call it and BP the canaries in the hydrolyser? We could’ve, if only the wave of bad hydrogen news hadn’t started much earlier. There are lots of canaries in the hydrolyser. Incidentally, did you know that a flock of canaries is called an aria or an opera? It is, and it’s the most fitting collective noun ever.