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“Hydrogen Talk: Perspectives from Electrochemical Engineering”
Hosts: Zia-Melchior Hoseini, Gijs Tuitel, Devi Rajendran
Guest: Dr. Thijs de Groot, Associate Professor in Electrochemical Process Engineering, TU/e.

In this episode of the Hydrogen Talk series, the EnergySpark team delves deep into the hydrogen economy with Dr. Thijs de Groot. With a career that bridges both academia and industry—including his involvement in large-scale electrochemical systems—Dr. de Groot shares his grounded perspective on the feasibility, challenges, and future of green and blue hydrogen in the context of Europe’s energy transition. The discussion unfolds around the evolving role of hydrogen within the European Green Deal, and critically assesses the real-world constraints—economic, geopolitical, and technical—that shape its deployment. The conversation combines technical depth with system-level insight, providing listeners with both context and clarity. The episode kicks off with a powerful framing: hydrogen is central to decarbonizing sectors where electrification falls short—steel, ammonia, and long-term storage.

Dr. de Groot affirms that green hydrogen remains the end goal—but blue hydrogen may offer a short-term bridge, particularly in industrial ports like Rotterdam. However, he warns about the risks of methane leakage and long-term CO₂ storage.

 

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Green hydrogen’s high cost continues to be a major hurdle. While subsidies help, regulation may be more effective. But Europe must tread carefully to stay competitive globally, especially against cost-efficient hydrogen players like China and the U.S. “It will be difficult to beat grey hydrogen until we really price CO₂ emissions globally… You either need subsidies or strong regulatory measures.”

From pink to turquoise hydrogen, niche production methods exist—but they are unlikely to scale meaningfully. The focus, de Groot says, should remain firmly on green and blue hydrogen. “All the others—pink, turquoise, yellow—they’re nice niche markets, but ultimately it’s green and blue hydrogen that will dominate.” There’s a risk in scaling up too quickly before technologies and supply chains are mature. De Groot advocates for piloting, learning from key projects, and standardizing gradually—especially in hard-to-abate sectors. “Targets for 2030 are probably too ambitious. But 2050 targets are crucial. Let’s make sure we’re on the path to get there.”

China’s approach to electrolysis—standardization, low cost, and scale—is noted as something Europe can learn from, even if flexibility remains a technical issue. “In Europe we talk a lot about hydrogen. In China, they just build. They’re already running the world’s largest water electrolysis plant at 260 MW.” The conversation ends with a call to action for students. From chemistry to design, and from mechanical to social sciences—everyone has a role to play in shaping the hydrogen transition. “Hydrogen isn’t complex chemistry—it’s about systems. If you're a student from almost any faculty, there's a connection for you to this field.”