Nature: The realistic role of hydrogen in the energy transition
- REDAÇÃO H2RADAR
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
For decades, hydrogen has been touted as the fuel of the future, associated with a low-carbon energy utopia. However, a study published in the renowned journal Nature proposes a sober, evidence-based analysis of its real potential for global decarbonization. The article points out that, despite its versatility and environmental appeal, hydrogen still faces significant technical, economic and environmental challenges. Its viability as an energy vector depends less on idealized visions and more on strategic decisions about where and how to apply it in a competitive and sustainable way.
Promising applications, structural limitations and strategic focus
Nature's perspective highlights that clean hydrogen — whether produced by electrolysis with renewable energy or by reforming natural gas with carbon capture — will not be a universal solution. Applications such as use in fuel cell cars or in domestic heating are seen as unpromising, especially in the face of the faster and more efficient advance of direct electrification by batteries. On the other hand, hydrogen can be competitive in industrial sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as steelmaking, fertilizer production, heavy-duty transportation, and long-term energy storage.
However, its deployment requires that supply, demand, and infrastructure advance in a coordinated manner—a complex challenge given hydrogen’s low energy density, its flammability risks, and the high costs of production, transportation, and storage. The gas’s physical properties pose obstacles not only in terms of logistics, but also in terms of safety and public acceptance.
Nature’s main recommendation is that hydrogen be deployed sparingly and with focus. In the short term, renewable electricity would have a greater climate impact if used directly to replace fossil fuels in conventional sectors. In the long term, hydrogen could play a strategic role as an integrator of the renewable matrix, enabling the storage of surplus energy and system stability.
