Korean explosions show hard road to hydrogen economy

A hydrogen fuel cell bus being tested in Perth, Australia. (Image: Getty)

Fri, 30 May 2025

Hydrogen markets are unlikely to take root without government intervention, despite an appetite for the fuel from energy-poor countries such as Japan and South Korea.James Choi, a former Australian diplomat who served as ambassador to South Korea until 2021, gave day two of the H2 2 ZERO Summit in Wellington on May 29 a cold shower of reality.Although Choi assured his audience he wasn’t there to pile on criticism of hydrogen, progress was going to be hard.Growing hydrogen scepticismHe said the hydrogen bubble had burst, and there was...

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