Research from Heriot-Watt University highlights the urgent need for coordinated policies and investments to address distribution challenges that could undermine billions of pounds in clean-energy investment, even as hydrogen production technologies surge forward.
Research from Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School warns that a shortfall in hydrogen transport infrastructure risks undermining billions of pounds of clean‑energy investment, even as production and end‑use technologies advance rapidly.
According to the study, published in the journal Sustainable Futures, hydrogen production, storage and fuel‑cell technologies are accelerating at roughly twice the rate of distribution infrastructure. The researchers analysed 777,000 patents and 1.3 million citations spanning 182 years of hydrogen technology development to map where progress is concentrated and where the system is most vulnerable.
“Distribution will become the dominant cost in any hydrogen system,” Dr David Dekker, research fellow at Edinburgh Business School and lead author of the study, told Digit. “Even as we get better at producing and using hydrogen, getting it where it is needed stays expensive. The problem is structural. Distribution requires massive pipeline networks and liquefaction plants that need billions in capital investment.”
The paper flags pipes, terminals and liquefaction capacity as particular pinch points. Industry data cited by the authors show distribution can come to absorb the lion’s share of hydrogen system budgets, a dynamic that could curtail deployment even as production costs fall. Without large, affordable networks to move hydrogen from clustered production sites to dispersed industrial and transport demand, the wider economy cannot fully capitalise on the technology’s climate benefits.
The authors also note a market structure problem: distribution infrastructure is currently concentrated in the hands of a small number of major firms that “tend to share less knowledge” than innovators in production and end‑use fields. The study argues this limited knowledge diffusion slows technical progress across the whole sector.
The findings arrive amid UK government efforts to stimulate hydrogen deployment. Last year the government announced £500 million of funding for hydrogen infrastructure to accelerate industrial decarbonisation. The Heriot‑Watt team says that while this support is welcome, additional targeted measures will be needed to break the bottleneck. “Industry will not commit at scale without pipelines, terminals and reliable delivery, but those networks will not be built at scale without firm industrial demand,” Professor Mercedes Maroto‑Valer, head of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre, said in the study’s coverage. “Without targeted action to de‑risk infrastructure, distribution costs and uncertainty will continue to hold the market back.”
Practical measures the researchers recommend include policy instruments to de‑risk long‑term infrastructure investment, incentives to encourage knowledge sharing between incumbent infrastructure providers and new entrants, and the development of open technical standards to reduce fragmentation and lower transaction costs. Such interventions are intended to mobilise private capital for the capital‑intensive elements of distribution , pipelines, liquefaction and terminals , that are unlikely to be delivered rapidly by market signals alone.
The call for coordinated action is reinforced by parallel UK research funding aimed at industrial decarbonisation. The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre, hosted at Heriot‑Watt, secured £2 million from UKRI’s EPSRC to continue convening industry, academia and government on technology and policy gaps. According to the announcement, that work will focus on regional and policy impact and on identifying research and innovation gaps that could stymie net‑zero transitions in heavy industry.
For firms and policymakers focused on industrial decarbonisation, the study reframes a familiar lesson: advances in production and end‑use technologies will not deliver full emissions savings unless matched by commensurate progress in distribution. The researchers warn that without deliberate public‑policy and industry action to lower the risk and cost of large‑scale hydrogen networks, private investment in production capacity may outpace the networks needed to put that hydrogen to use.
- https://www.digit.fyi/hydrogen-bottleneck-jeopardising-billions-in-clean-energy/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/2026/bottleneck-in-hydrogen-distribution-jeopardises-billions-in-clean-energy – A study from Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School reveals that hydrogen transport infrastructure is developing at half the pace of other clean technologies, creating a bottleneck that could jeopardise billions in clean energy investments. The research indicates that while hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cell technologies are advancing rapidly, distribution infrastructure is lagging, potentially consuming a significant portion of hydrogen system budgets and limiting overall sector growth. The study analysed 777,000 patents and 1.3 million citations spanning 182 years of hydrogen technology development, highlighting clear differences in progress across the system.
- https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1113026 – Research from Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School indicates that hydrogen transport infrastructure is developing at half the pace of other clean technologies, creating a bottleneck that could jeopardise billions in clean energy investments. The study found that while hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cell technologies are advancing rapidly, distribution infrastructure is lagging, potentially consuming a significant portion of hydrogen system budgets and limiting overall sector growth. The research analysed 777,000 patents and 1.3 million citations spanning 182 years of hydrogen technology development, revealing clear differences in progress across the system.
- https://www.h2-view.com/story/infrastructure-hold-ups-threaten-hydrogen-industry-build-out-study/2136732.article/ – A study by Heriot-Watt University warns that hydrogen transport infrastructure development lags far behind production and end-use, potentially undermining wider industry development and Net Zero targets. The research indicates that distribution costs could limit sector growth, increasingly dwarfing expenses of production, storage, and fuel cell technologies. Pipes, terminals, and liquefaction plants, needed to link the entire hydrogen system, are identified as its most vulnerable components. The study analysed 777,000 patents and 1.3 million citations across 182 years of hydrogen research, revealing clear differences in progress across technologies.
- https://greenfleet.net/news/19012026/hydrogen-distribution-falling-behind-other-clean-technologies – Research from Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School shows that hydrogen transport infrastructure is developing at half the pace of other clean technologies, potentially jeopardising billions in clean energy investments. The study found that while hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cell technologies are advancing rapidly, distribution expenses could take up a large share of hydrogen system budgets, significantly limiting overall efficiency and growth of the hydrogen sector. The research analysed 777,000 patents and 1.3 million citations spanning 182 years of hydrogen technology development, revealing clear differences in progress across the system.
- https://essmag.co.uk/hydrogen-watt-university/ – A recent study from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University found that while hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cell technologies are advancing rapidly, the hydrogen distribution infrastructure is developing at half the speed, creating a critical bottleneck that could put billions in clean energy at risk. The findings, published in the journal Sustainable Futures, are an important milestone in recognising that, while other hydrogen technologies improve and costs fall, distribution expenses could take up a large share of hydrogen system budgets, significantly limiting overall efficiency and growth of the hydrogen sector. The research team analysed 777,000 patents and 1.3 million citations spanning 182 years of hydrogen technology development, revealing clear differences in progress across the system.
- https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/2025/2-million-funding-boost-for-idric – The UK’s Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), based at Heriot-Watt University, has secured £2 million from UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to continue its vital work in catalysing industrial decarbonisation to support clean industrial growth. This funding represents a significant step forward in advancing the transition to a clean industrial future in the UK and builds on five successful years of IDRIC’s impact in driving industrial decarbonisation at pace and scale. Activity will centre on research supporting UK regional and policy impact, while concurrently identifying research and innovation gaps. By continuing its role as a trusted knowledge hub and convenor, IDRIC will sustain momentum, accelerate innovation, and maximise the co-benefits of industrial decarbonisation across the UK. By fostering long-term economic growth and societal benefits, these efforts will help lay the foundations for the industries of tomorrow.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article was published on 19 January 2026, making it current. However, the study referenced was published in the journal Sustainable Futures, which may have a publication delay. The exact publication date of the study is not specified, raising concerns about the timeliness of the information.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
Direct quotes from Dr David Dekker and Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer are included. However, these quotes cannot be independently verified through the provided sources, as the original study in the journal Sustainable Futures is not accessible. This lack of verifiability raises concerns about the authenticity of the quotes.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article originates from Digit, a niche publication focusing on technology and business news. While it provides detailed coverage, the lack of access to the original study in the journal Sustainable Futures limits the ability to verify the claims independently, affecting the overall reliability of the source.
Plausability check
Score:
7
Notes:
The claim that hydrogen distribution infrastructure is developing at half the pace of other clean technologies is plausible, given the complexities and capital requirements of building such infrastructure. However, without access to the original study, it’s challenging to assess the accuracy of the specific figures and conclusions presented.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article presents a timely and plausible claim about the development pace of hydrogen distribution infrastructure. However, the inability to independently verify the original study due to access restrictions and the lack of verifiable quotes from the study’s authors significantly undermine the credibility of the information presented. These factors lead to a ‘FAIL’ assessment with medium confidence.
