Dominique Lecocq is VP Ecosystems & Communications at Air Liquide Hydrogen Energy World Business Line. We asked her about the current and future role of hydrogen in the latest issue of the ALTEN Eurêka magazine, dedicated to the place of engineering in the zero-carbon strategy. Focus on this low-carbon alternative, at a time when rethinking our energy solutions has become imperative to ensure everyone’s good health.

Do you think we are at a turning point and that hydrogen finally has a place in the debate on energy transition?

Yes, particularly in the past three years or so. We’re seeing things changing. People understand now. Our heavy industry customers see that hydrogen will be an integral part of the future: in Germany, for example, Thyssen Krupp is going to inject hydrogen to partially replace pulverised coal in the blast furnace during steel production.

What is the major issue for hydrogen to become a serious alternative?

It’s developing hydrogen production to produce low carbon. Two examples: in our future Nevada plant (United States), part of the sourcing will be from biomethane, and in our Port-Jérôme facility in Normandy, we capture the CO2 emitted during production and re-use it in other applications.

How can hydrogen’s place in the energy mix be established?

Air Liquide spearheaded the creation of the Hydrogen Council at Davos in early 2017 which brings together the CEOs of global companies that believe in hydrogen. There were 13 to begin with and now there are 60. And they speak with one voice to public authorities in particular.

Read the full article from the seventh issue of the ALTEN Eurêka magazine “Climate issues”:
“For low-carbon energy: action on all fronts!“