Switching from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources is a global priority, but challenges like unreliable solar and wind power storage create gaps in the transition. One way to address this is through green hydrogen—a clean fuel made by splitting water using renewable energy. While promising, current green hydrogen solutions are expensive, hard to store, and lack infrastructure, slowing their adoption.

How this could work

One approach might focus on making green hydrogen more practical through modular and scalable systems. Instead of relying on large, costly plants, smaller hydrogen production units could be built where they’re needed—say, near factories, ports, or remote towns. These could pair with solar or wind farms to produce hydrogen locally, cutting transport and storage costs. Another angle could involve developing better storage solutions, such as converting hydrogen into ammonia or using advanced materials to store it safely and efficiently.

The idea could serve industries like shipping or steelmaking that struggle to cut emissions, or communities far from energy grids. Governments looking to hit climate targets or investors eyeing the clean energy boom might also back such projects.

Making it happen

Starting small could help test the waters—for example, a pilot system powering a single factory or town. Early partnerships with renewable energy providers or industrial buyers could prove demand and refine the technology. If successful, scaling up might involve designing larger facilities or branching into hydrogen storage solutions.

Some existing projects focus narrowly on parts of this challenge, like improving electrolyzers or maritime hydrogen production. A system that integrates production, storage, and local use might stand out by solving multiple hurdles at once.

While costs and infrastructure gaps are real hurdles, pairing innovation with policy support and industry demand could give this a path forward. The key would be starting simple, proving the concept, and scaling where it makes the most impact.