Hydrogen is the missing link in the clean energy equation, acting as a the critical energy buffer needed to unlock the full potential of renewable power, providing a flexible and scalable solution to a grid that is increasingly saturated and constrained.. As Fatih Birol of the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated in Energy Week I London in February 2025, ‘globally there were 1600GW of renewable energy projects waiting to be connected to the grid. They are in a queue – this is an economically criminal story.’
The future of energy is not just electric—it’s a hybrid of green electrons and hydrogen molecules, working together to propel us to #netzero faster than ever before.
With hydrogen-powered dual grids, we move beyond a one-size-fits-all energy system to one that is smarter, more adaptive, and capable of handling 100% renewable energy.
This synergy between electrons and molecules will,
- Accelerate renewable energy deployment by eliminating curtailment issues.
- Decarbonise heavy industry and transport, sectors currently dependent on fossil fuels.
- Strengthen energy security by reducing reliance on imported fuels.
- Create a global hydrogen economy, driving investment and innovation.
The bottleneck isn’t a lack of generation—it’s the grid’s inability to absorb and distribute power efficiently. An outdated infrastructure struggling to handle intermittent power flows. Hydrogen changes the game by capturing excess renewable energy, storing it efficiently, and dispatching it when needed—eliminating curtailment and stabilizing supply. By integrating hydrogen into the energy system, we can accelerate the transition to a fully renewable-powered economy and unleash the next wave of clean energy innovation
Capturing Lost Renewable Energy
One of the biggest challenges in scaling renewable energy is curtailment—the practice of shutting down wind and solar generation when supply exceeds demand or when grid congestion prevents distribution. This results in wasted clean energy that could otherwise be captures and put to use.
Hydrogen solves this problem by converting Excess Renewable Power into Green Hydrogen – When wind and solar generation exceed grid capacity, surplus electricity can be directed to electrolysers, which split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This effectively transforms curtailed energy into storable, transportable clean fuel.
Hydrogen also reduces grid congestion by diverting surplus power into hydrogen production, it prevents transmission bottlenecks and relieves stress on power lines, allowing more renewables to stay online.
Creating Flexibility and Headroom for More Renewables
Currently, the grid lacks the flexibility needed to integrate large amounts of intermittent renewable energy. Hydrogen creates energy system headroom by acting as a long-duration energy storage solution. Unlike batteries, which are suited for short-term storage, hydrogen can store energy for days, weeks, or even seasons. This ensures that excess summer solar power can be used in winter or that offshore wind energy is available when needed most.
Hydrogen also provides options for dispatchable power where it can can be used in fuel cells or burned in gas turbines to generate electricity on demand, functioning as a backup power source when renewables dip, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel peaking plants.
Hydrogen extends beyond electricity enabling sector coupling by decarbonising industries that are hard to electrify, such as steelmaking, heavy transport, and aviation. This means that renewable energy can be used in sectors that would otherwise rely on fossil fuels, further accelerating the clean energy transition.
Hydrogen also has the power to deliver a decentralising energy supply. By allowing renewable energy to be stored and transported as hydrogen, we can move away from a centralised grid model and enable more localized energy solutions, reducing pressure on transmission networks.
Hydrogen Powering a Dual-Grid Future: Green Electrons and Molecules in Tandem
The clean energy economy of the future will not rely solely on electrons flowing through the grid. Instead, it will be a dual-grid system, where green electrons (renewable electricity) and green molecules (hydrogen and other clean fuels) work in tandem to create a more resilient, flexible, and scalable energy network. Hydrogen is the missing piece that enables this transformation—providing energy storage, balancing renewables, and decarbonizing industries that electricity alone cannot.
By integrating green molecules into the energy mix, we create a system that is no longer bound by the limitations of the electric grid alone. Instead of losing excess renewable energy, we capture and store it in a form that can be used anytime, anywhere.
A Catalyst for the New Clean Energy Economy
By integrating hydrogen as an energy buffer, we remove the barriers that are holding back the next wave of renewable energy deployment. This transition unlocks investment, accelerates grid upgrades, and creates a smarter, more resilient energy system. With hydrogen providing the missing flexibility, we can rapidly scale renewable energy, eliminate curtailment, and power the world with clean, abundant energy.
The future of energy is not just electric—it’s a hybrid of green electrons and hydrogen molecules, working together to propel us to net zero faster than ever before.
