At €520 per ton of CO₂ avoided, France’s hydrogen expenditures audit, Final Observations: Support for the Development of Decarbonized Hydrogen (translation by computer), reveals a stark economic reality, that decarbonized hydrogen produced via electrolysis remains stubbornly uneconomic, relying heavily on layers of public subsidies. This cost of abatement significantly exceeds the societal cost of CO₂ reductions typically pursued through other technologies. Such a price tag demands closer scrutiny, particularly when considering the scale and nature of the government support involved.
France’s ambitious national hydrogen strategy, outlined in the second iteration of its National Hydrogen Strategy (SNH2, released in April 2025), aims at rapidly scaling electrolytic hydrogen production to decarbonize key sectors. Over €9 billion has already…
