Beyond the Hype: The Hidden Economic and Operational Realities of Corporate Hydrogen Projects
While companies like Cummins and Alstom have made high-profile investments in hydrogen technology, a closer look reveals a pattern of significant operational and economic hurdles. Cummins paused its hydrogen internal combustion engine program, and Alstom's pioneering hydrogen trains in Germany faced frequent downtime and exorbitant refueling infrastructure costs. This analysis moves beyond the press releases to examine the core challenges of scalability, total cost of ownership, and infrastructure dependency that are currently hindering the commercial viability of hydrogen in transport. The emerging trend, exemplified by Siemens and Deutsche Bahn's methanol-reformer train, suggests a strategic pivot towards more practical, intermediary energy carriers.