Hydrogen and renewables

Renewable energy is the foundation of the energy transition, but on its own, it is not enough.
Hydrogen is not an alternative to renewables; it is a complementary energy carrier that enables energy storage, helps manage intermittency, and supports the decarbonization of sectors that are difficult to electrify. Understanding how these two elements interact is essential to making sense of the future of energy systems.

Hydrogen and renewable energy are not in competition: they perform different, complementary roles within the same energy system. The perception of a trade-off between the two often stems from an oversimplified narrative: renewables are framed as the replacement for fossil fuels, while hydrogen is seen as a competing technology. In reality, they operate at different levels.

Renewables — particularly wind and solar — are primary energy sources. They generate electricity directly from natural resources. Hydrogen, by contrast, is an energy carrier: it is not a source of energy, but a means of storing, transporting and using energy produced elsewhere. According to the International Energy Agency, the development of low-emissions hydrogen is closely linked to the availability of renewable electricity.
So-called green hydrogen — produced through electrolysis powered by renewables — is one of the main pathways to decarbonize sectors where direct electrification is either difficult or inefficient. Its role is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades, particularly in industrial applications and heavy transport.

This is where the limits of direct electrification become clear. While it is the most efficient solution in many use cases — such as buildings and light mobility — it is not always technically or economically viable. Sectors such as steelmaking, heavy chemicals, maritime transport and aviation require high energy density or specific chemical processes that electricity alone cannot easily provide.

In this context, hydrogen is not an alternative to renewables — it is a way to extend their reach.

Renewable energy is now the backbone of the global energy transition. In recent years, wind and solar have experienced unprecedented growth, becoming the most dynamic sources within the energy mix. This acceleration has been driven both by declining technology costs and by increasingly ambitious decarbonisation policies worldwide.

Their role in reducing emissions is therefore central and irreplaceable. Renewables are the primary lever for cutting emissions in the energy sector, which still accounts for the largest share of global CO₂ emissions. Yet their very nature introduces a structural challenge.

Unlike conventional energy sources, wind and solar are inherently intermittent and non-dispatchable. They generate electricity when the wind blows or the sun shines — not necessarily when demand is highest. As their share in the energy mix continues to grow, this creates an increasing mismatch between generation and consumption.

The result is an energy system in which, at certain times, renewable electricity is abundant but cannot be fully utilised, while at others it may be insufficient. In such cases, curtailment occurs — the deliberate reduction of renewable generation to maintain grid stability. In other words, part of the available clean energy goes unused.

As renewable capacity continues to expand, this issue is set to become more pronounced. It highlights a critical point: producing clean energy is not enough. It must also be managed, stored and distributed efficiently. It is precisely in this gap — between generation and use — that new flexibility needs emerge, along with new technological opportunities, including the role of hydrogen.

Hydrogen turns one of the key limitations of renewables — variability — into a system-level opportunity. The principle is straightforward: when wind and solar generation exceeds demand, instead of curtailing output, that excess electricity can be converted into hydrogen. This is the basis of so-called Power-to-Hydrogen.

Through electrolysis, renewable electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, creating an energy carrier that can be stored and used at a later stage. This process is one of the main levers for integrating higher shares of renewables into energy systems, reducing waste and improving overall efficiency. At the same time, it strengthens energy security by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and increasing the ability of energy systems to manage domestic production and supply.

Hydrogen’s key advantage over other storage solutions lies in its scalability. Batteries play a crucial role in short-term grid management — for example, stabilising frequency or handling hourly fluctuations — but they become less efficient and more costly when it comes to storing large volumes of energy over longer periods. Hydrogen, by contrast, enables storage at industrial scale and over seasonal timescales, making it particularly well suited to balancing energy systems with high shares of renewables and enhancing their overall security.

Beyond storage, hydrogen significantly enhances system flexibility. It can be used to convert stored energy back into electricity during peak demand, or it can be transported and used directly in industrial applications. This ability to store energy over time and release it when needed is also a key factor in strengthening the resilience of energy infrastructure, particularly in contexts marked by market volatility or geopolitical instability.

The Clean Hydrogen Partnership highlights that many of these solutions are already being deployed, with projects integrating electrolysers, renewable generation and existing energy infrastructure. The goal is to build systems in which electrons and molecules work together, improving both resilience and efficiency.

In this context, the energy transition is not only an environmental challenge, but also an industrial and strategic one — aimed at ensuring greater security, autonomy and long-term stability, with hydrogen playing a central role.

The energy system of the future will not rely on a single solution, but on an integrated combination of energy carriers. In this model, electricity generated from renewable sources remains the most efficient option for many end uses, while hydrogen and its derivatives extend the reach of renewable energy to applications where direct electrification is not feasible.

This is the logic behind the concept of a multi-vector energy system, where “electrons” and “molecules” coexist and complement each other. Electricity is well suited to applications such as buildings, light mobility and parts of industry. However, there are sectors — including steelmaking, cement production, heavy chemicals, maritime transport and aviation — where energy requirements in terms of temperature, energy density or specific chemical processes make the direct use of electricity difficult or inefficient.

This is where the Power-to-X paradigm comes into play. Renewable electricity can be converted into a range of energy carriers — not only hydrogen (Power-to-Hydrogen), but also synthetic fuels (e-fuels), methanol and ammonia. These products can be transported, stored and used within existing infrastructure, enabling the transition to progress without requiring a complete overhaul of current systems.

The integration of renewables and hydrogen is no longer a theoretical concept, it is already taking shape at an industrial scale. In recent years, there has been a significant acceleration in projects combining renewable generation, electrolysis and hydrogen use across multiple sectors. These initiatives are demonstrating the technical and economic viability of a multi-vector approach.

In this context, electrolysis technologies play a decisive role. The ability to produce hydrogen efficiently, reliably and at industrial scale is a prerequisite for making the entire system sustainable. Improving electrolyser performance, extending operational lifetimes and reducing costs remain key technological challenges — but they are also areas where progress is advancing rapidly.

This is where companies specialising in advanced electrochemical solutions are making a tangible impact. Increasingly efficient, scalable and system-integrated technologies are enabling the continuous and reliable conversion of renewable electricity into hydrogen, supporting the transition from pilot projects to widespread industrial deployment.

Looking ahead, the emerging picture is one of an increasingly interconnected, flexible and resilient energy system, in which technologies do not compete but work together. Renewables will continue to expand as the primary source of electricity, while hydrogen will extend their reach, enabling decarbonisation in even the most challenging sectors.

The future of the energy transition will not be determined by choosing between competing technologies, but by integrating them. It is through the synergy between renewables and hydrogen that a model can be built — one that combines sustainability, energy security and industrial development.