A new study from France's CEA warns that Europe is at high risk of missing its 2040 targets for low-carbon hydrogen and derived e-fuels, despite strong projected demand. The "SISYPHE" study, which incorporates insights from 70 European industrial players, provides the first comprehensive analysis of the continent's demand trajectory for these energy carriers.
The research identifies a significant gap between projected demand and the current pace of infrastructure and production development. To bridge this gap and accelerate the market, the CEA proposes several key levers. These include rapidly scaling up electrolyzer manufacturing capacity, accelerating the deployment of renewable and nuclear-based electricity for hydrogen production, and developing large-scale transport and storage infrastructure, particularly pipelines and salt cavern storage.
The study underscores that while industrial demand from sectors like chemicals, refining, and steel is clear, coordinated action on policy, investment, and technology scaling is urgently needed to meet European decarbonization goals.
