Beyond the breathless headlines, significant obstacles threaten to derail the hydrogen revolution – from subterranean wildfires to a looming “hydrogen bubble” in venture funding.
Overlooked Risks:
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Subsurface Combustion:
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Oklahoma well fire burned for 17 days
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Hydrogen’s wide flammability range (4-75% vs methane’s 5-15%)
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Infrastructure Gaps:
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Only 1,200 miles of H₂-ready pipelines globally
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Cargo ships lack containment for liquid H₂ (-253°C)
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Economic Realities:
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73% of hydrogen startups lack viable path to profit (McKinsey)
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“Hydrogen Valley” projects missing targets by 32-68%
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Scientist Warnings:
“Natural hydrogen isn’t a silver bullet,” cautions Columbia’s Dr. Elena Krieger. “At best, it meets 12% of global energy needs by 2050 – if we solve the storage crisis.”
Investor Backlash:
Short interest in hydrogen ETFs surged 140% as skeptics compare the boom to:
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2000s hydrogen car hype
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2010s solar overcapacity
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2020s SPAC bubble
