As Europe races to build a climate-neutral energy system, renewable hydrogen is increasingly viewed as a crucial pillar of the continent’s decarbonisation strategy.
Yet while attention has largely focused on how quickly hydrogen can be produced, a far more complex question is coming into view: how should it be transported across long distances in a way that is both affordable and genuinely low-carbon?
A new study from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) offers some of the clearest answers yet, comparing the economic and environmental performance of competing hydrogen delivery routes and revealing which options are best suited to underpin Europe’s emerging hydrogen market.
Delivering on Europe’s hydrogen ambitions
Renewable hydrogen is expected to play a central role in decarbonising sectors that are difficult to electrify, including heavy industry, long-distance transport, and shipping.
The EU has set an ambitious target of producing 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen domestically and importing an additional 10 million tonnes by 2030.
While progress in electrolyser technology has improved hydrogen production efficiency, the challenge of transporting hydrogen at scale remains unresolved.
Hydrogen can be delivered in several physical and chemical forms, each with different infrastructure needs, costs, and environmental consequences. Choosing the wrong option could significantly increase emissions and expenses, undermining the climate benefits of renewable hydrogen.
A combined economic and environmental lens
To address this challenge, JRC researchers combined techno-economic assessment with life-cycle assessment, creating a harmonised framework that evaluates both financial viability and environmental impact.
The study modelled hydrogen produced via renewable electrolysis in Portugal and transported to the Netherlands, a distance of approximately 2,500 kilometres, reflecting realistic European import routes.
Five delivery options were assessed: compressed hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and liquid organic hydrogen carriers. Transport by ship and pipeline was also compared to understand how infrastructure choices influence outcomes.
Liquid and compressed hydrogen emerge as front-runners
The results show clear winners. Transporting liquid hydrogen by ship and compressed hydrogen through pipelines emerged as the most cost-effective and environmentally favourable options under the reference European scenario.
These pathways benefit from fewer conversion steps and lower cumulative energy demand. In contrast, chemical carriers such as ammonia, methanol, and liquid organic hydrogen carriers performed less well.
Although these substances are easier to handle using existing infrastructure, the additional processes required to convert hydrogen into and out of these carriers significantly increase energy use, costs, and emissions.
The study found that these conversion stages also demand larger renewable electricity installations, further increasing environmental footprints.
Distance matters for hydrogen transport
Transport distance plays a decisive role in determining the optimal delivery method. For very long routes, approaching 10,000 kilometres, liquid hydrogen remains competitive due to its high energy density.
Compressed hydrogen, however, becomes less attractive over such distances because of rising fuel consumption and the need for additional transport vessels or pipeline capacity.
These findings suggest that infrastructure planning for renewable hydrogen must be tailored to geography and scale, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all solution.
Why renewable hydrogen is critical for the energy transition
Beyond transport logistics, the study reinforces the strategic importance of renewable hydrogen for Europe’s wider energy transition.
As electricity demand grows and fossil fuels are phased out, renewable hydrogen offers a way to store excess renewable power, stabilise energy systems, and decarbonise industrial processes that cannot rely on direct electrification.
When produced and transported sustainably, renewable hydrogen can bridge the gap between renewable energy generation and hard-to-abate emissions, making it a cornerstone of a resilient, net-zero economy.
Guiding policy and investment decisions
By clearly outlining the trade-offs between cost, emissions, and infrastructure requirements, the JRC study provides policymakers and investors with robust evidence to guide future decisions.
It also highlights the potential of repurposing existing natural gas pipelines for compressed renewable hydrogen, while underlining the need for continued innovation to reduce uncertainties and environmental impacts across all hydrogen technologies.
As Europe scales up its hydrogen economy, studies like this will be essential to ensure that renewable hydrogen delivers on its promise as a truly sustainable energy solution.
