Delivering UK hydrogen projects is like playing Whac-A-Mole
Pamela Largue
Posted on: 30 June 2026
In this Energy Transitions podcast, Clare Jackson of Hydrogen UK, highlights why the challenges in the hydrogen sector are a positive sign of maturity.
According to Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, delivering hydrogen projects can be likened to a game of Whac-A-Mole and in this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, she explains why.
Hydrogen projects are easy to announce, but difficult to deliver, with early enthusiasm often giving way to the practical work of securing permits, financing, and securing infrastructure and regulatory approvals. Every hurdle exposes the next one, she explains. A project may overcome financing, only to face planning delays, for example.
However, says Jackson, this situation is not evidence that hydrogen has failed or that the sector has entered a repetitive cycle with no hope of growth. Rather, it reflects the complexity of building an entirely new energy sector, where technical, financial, regulatory and market challenges must all be addressed before projects become operational. And more importantly, it reflects a maturing sector moving from hype to execution.
Jackson emphasises that hydrogen, alongside carbon capture and electrification, will play a critical role in building a resilient, low-carbon energy system, if we can shift hydrogen through these “awkward teenage years”.
In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, you will learn more about:
- How the hydrogen industry has evolved from hype to a clearer understanding of where hydrogen delivers the greatest value;
- What's really holding back hydrogen investment in the UK;
- The impact of policy delays in terms of investment risk;
- Which hydrogen projects are making real progress;
- Why the next phase of hydrogen's growth depends on creating demand in sectors that genuinely need hydrogen;
- Where hydrogen will have the biggest impact;
- What the UK must do to become a global hydrogen leader.
