Will blue hydrogen lock us into fossil fuels forever?

Introduction Blue hydrogen – once an unfamiliar term to most, is at the centre of the energy and climate debate. It involves making hydrogen from fossil fuels and capturing and storing the associated carbon emissions as part of efforts to meet net zero climate targets. Promises have been made by the fossil fuel industry suggesting blue hydrogen can replace oil and gas in industry, buildings and transport while avoiding harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Blue hydrogen would involve capturing and storing the fossil fuel emissions that contribute to climate change preventing them from reaching the atmosphere. Partly in response to these claims and demands for policy support from the industry, more than 20 national governments and the European Union have released hydrogen strategies. In this commentary we consider blue hydrogen and ask how credible is it as a scalable low carbon fuel?