Salle EOLE (Hall B3)
Dec 9, 2026
2:00 PM3:00 PM
Transport - MobilityCleantech - Decarbonation#Hydrogen
RENEWABLE HYDROGEN AT ITS LOWEST POINT… BEFORE A REBOUND?
Elodie HATEFrançois DEDIEU
Description
After the initial euphoria surrounding the announcements, it’s time to face reality. Several projects have been postponed or scrapped, production costs remain high, infrastructure deployment is lagging, and industrial demand is struggling to materialize.
Renewable hydrogen is going through a consolidation phase that calls into question its timeline, but not necessarily its role in decarbonization.
So, is this just a temporary slump, or an essential step toward a more robust sector? Which applications should be prioritized: industry, heavy-duty transportation, e-fuels, or renewable energy storage? What business models will finally enable a viable market to emerge?
This story is likely not one of failure, but rather of a change in direction. Hydrogen now seems to be finding its true purpose where alternatives are limited: the decarbonization of heavy industry, the steel industry, the chemical industry, and synthetic fuels. At the same time, major European infrastructure projects are beginning to take shape, with transportation initiatives that will eventually make it possible to produce hydrogen where it is most cost-effective and transport it to major industrial hubs.
One key question remains: how can these prospects be turned into industrial reality? What are the main obstacles today? Will France—which has numerous industrial strengths and ranks among the most dynamic countries in e-fuel projects—be able to convert this lead into investments and factories? A roundtable discussion to distinguish promises from realities and understand whether renewable hydrogen is simply at a low point… before the rebound.
A roundtable discussion moderated by Carole Rap, journalist
