Green hydrogen's big comeback
Green hydrogen has been through a difficult few years. High production costs, sluggish demand, and cautious investors left many wondering whether the promise had outpaced the reality. But something has shifted.
The infrastructure is coming.
Denmark and Germany are jointly committing more than EUR 3 billion to build a cross-border hydrogen pipeline connecting Danish renewable production with German industrial demand. The EU is backing it. National governments are financing it.
As Troels Ranis, Senior Vice President at Danish Industry, Kristian Jensen, CEO of Green Power Denmark, and Andreas Wenzel, CEO of the German-Danish Chamber of Commerce, put it in a joint perspective piece:
The opportunity to adopt green hydrogen is now.
For energy-intensive industries, the calculus is becoming straightforward. Carbon pricing is tightening. Binding EU requirements for renewable fuels are coming into force. Continued reliance on fossil fuels will not just become more expensive – it will become a compliance problem. Green hydrogen offers a solution that addresses both.
But there is a narrowing window.
Early movers will benefit from state-backed subsidies, stable supply agreements, and a market with room to negotiate. Those who wait will face tighter supply, higher prices, and tougher contract conditions. The first-mover advantage in green hydrogen is real – and it is already being claimed.
Want to go deeper? State of Green is supporting two upcoming events where green hydrogen and the Danish-German energy partnership will be centre stage.
Join the Danish-German Chamber of Commerce's webinar on May 20, where State of Green will be sharing perspectives and learnings from Denmark's green transition. And register for the European Conference Hydrogen P2X 2026, where State of Green serves as brand manager for one of Europe’s leading gatherings on hydrogen and power-to-X.