Hydrogen readiness: a Trojan horse for fossil fuel lock-in

This briefing explores how the growing use of “hydrogen readiness” in EU policies and funding frameworks risks enabling new fossil gas infrastructure under the guise of a green transition.

Key takeaways:

• The term “hydrogen readiness” lacks a clear definition, yet is increasingly used to justify fossil gas infrastructure and subsidies across EU laws and funding mechanisms.
• These “hydrogen-ready” projects often fail to guarantee any actual future use of hydrogen, especially green hydrogen. This risks long-term fossil fuel dependency and exaggerates the role hydrogen can and should play in decarbonised economies.
• The approach creates lock-in, financial and external dependency risks, undermining the EU’s climate and energy goals.
• The report calls for removing hydrogen readiness as a policy tool, unless infrastructure can truly run on 100% green hydrogen from the start.