Paul Rodden • Season: 2025 • Episode: 400
Listen Now:
>Direct Link To The Hydrogen Podcast MP3<
Listen On Your Favorite App:
Welcome to The Hydrogen Podcast!
The hydrogen revolution is here! In this episode of The Hydrogen Podcast, I break down THREE major developments shaping the future of hydrogen:
✅ Morocco’s $32.5B Green Hydrogen Mega-Project 🌍 – Positioned as Europe’s top hydrogen supplier, with costs as low as $1.50/kg by 2030!
✅ MAX Power’s Natural Hydrogen Exploration in Canada 🇨🇦 – Could “white hydrogen” be the cheapest, most scalable hydrogen source yet?
✅ EVs vs. Hydrogen: The Transportation Debate 🚛 – Why hydrogen outperforms battery-electric in long-haul trucking, heavy transport & industrial fleets.
🌎 Plus, I’ll share insights from my upcoming EV Charging Summit panel in Las Vegas (March 25, 4-6 PM), where I’ll dive into the real economics of hydrogen vs. EVs!
📢 Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
🔔 Subscribe for weekly hydrogen insights!
📩 Email me your feedback: info@thehydrogenpodcast.com
#Hydrogen #GreenHydrogen #MoroccoHydrogen #NaturalHydrogen #EVvsHydrogen #HydrogenPodcast #EnergyTransition #H2Production #Electrolyzers #FutureOfHydrogen #CleanEnergy #EVChargingSummit #HydrogenTrucking #ZeroEmissions #HydrogenVsEVs
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the podcast. Please feel free to email me at info@thehydrogenpodcast.com with any questions. Also, if you wouldn’t mind subscribing to my podcast using your preferred platform… I would greatly appreciate it.
Respectfully,
Paul Rodden
VISIT THE HYDROGEN PODCAST WEBSITE
https://thehydrogenpodcast.com
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG
https://thehydrogenpodcast.com/blog/
WANT TO SPONSOR THE PODCAST?
Send us an email to: info@thehydrogenpodcast.com
NEW TO HYDROGEN AND NEED A QUICK INTRODUCTION?
Start Here: The 6 Main Colors of Hydrogen
Transcript:
Introduction: Hydrogen’s Next Frontier
Today, I’ll examine Morocco’s historic $32.5 billion green hydrogen investment, a move that positions the North African country as a major supplier for Europe. I’ll also explore MAX Power’s push into natural hydrogen in Saskatchewan, a project that could prove to be a lower-cost, scalable alternative to green and blue hydrogen. Finally, I’ll break down a recent EV vs. Hydrogen vehicle comparison and highlight why hydrogen remains a superior choice for certain industries despite widespread media narratives favoring battery electric vehicles.
To cap it off, I’ll be sharing insights from my upcoming discussion at the EV Charging Summit in Las Vegas on March 25th, from 4-6 PM, where I’ll be covering the real economics of hydrogen versus EVs and what the transportation and energy infrastructure of the future should look like. All of this on todays Hydrogen Podcast
Morocco’s $32.5 Billion Green Hydrogen Investment: A New Global Leader Emerges
Morocco’s approval of $32.5 billion in green hydrogen projects is a watershed moment for global energy markets. While many hydrogen projects in Europe and North America struggle with permitting, costs, and supply chain issues, Morocco has positioned itself as a low-cost, high-potential hydrogen exporter that can supply Europe at competitive prices.
Several factors make Morocco an ideal green hydrogen hub. Geographically, it sits just 14 kilometers from Spain, with existing undersea pipelines that can be converted to transport hydrogen into Europe. But beyond location, Morocco boasts some of the world’s cheapest renewable electricity costs, which is critical for hydrogen production. Solar and wind energy prices in Morocco range from $0.02 to $0.03 per kWh, well below the global average of $0.04 to $0.06 per kWh. This directly translates into lower green hydrogen production costs, with Morocco expected to produce hydrogen at $1.50 – $2.00 per kg by 2030, which is significantly cheaper than Europe’s current production costs of $5 – $8 per kg.
This massive investment aligns with Europe’s REPowerEU strategy, which aims to import 10 million metric tons of renewable hydrogen annually by 2030 to decarbonize heavy industries, including steel, chemicals, and long-haul transport. Germany, France, and the Netherlands are already in talks to import Moroccan hydrogen, seeing it as a cost-effective solution to meet EU climate goals.
Despite the advantages, scaling Morocco’s hydrogen economy won’t be without challenges. The biggest concerns include water scarcity, since electrolysis requires 9 liters of water per kilogram of hydrogen, making large-scale desalination a necessity in Morocco’s arid climate. Infrastructure bottlenecks are another hurdle, as while some existing natural gas pipelines can be repurposed for hydrogen, new pipelines and shipping terminals will still be needed to export at scale. Long-term price stability remains uncertain, as although Morocco’s hydrogen is projected to be cheap, early production costs could still be volatile, potentially delaying large-scale adoption.
Even with these hurdles, Morocco is positioning itself as a major hydrogen powerhouse, capable of supplying low-cost, clean hydrogen to industrial hubs across Europe. This is one of the most exciting developments in the hydrogen space, and it will be fascinating to watch how these investments unfold.
MAX Power’s Natural Hydrogen Play in Saskatchewan: The Next Disruption?
While Morocco is pushing green hydrogen, MAX Power is betting on naturally occurring hydrogen, or “white hydrogen,” which could be a disruptive, low-cost game-changer. Unlike electrolysis-based hydrogen, natural hydrogen forms underground through geological processes and can be extracted similarly to natural gas.
The biggest issue facing green hydrogen is cost. Even in an ideal location like Morocco, green hydrogen costs at least $1.50 – $2.00 per kg, and in most other markets, it’s far higher. By contrast, natural hydrogen extraction costs could be as low as $1.00 per kg, making it the cheapest hydrogen production method discovered to date.
Geological studies suggest massive natural hydrogen reservoirs exist worldwide, particularly in North America, Australia, and parts of Africa. Saskatchewan’s geology is rich in iron-rich rocks that react with water to produce hydrogen, a process known as serpentinization. If MAX Power’s exploration confirms large-scale reservoirs, this could dramatically change the hydrogen economy, eliminating the need for electrolyzers, which are expensive and energy-intensive, carbon capture for blue hydrogen, removing the need for costly CCS infrastructure, and high electricity inputs, which make hydrogen production costly in most regions.
The economic implications of natural hydrogen are huge. By removing expensive infrastructure requirements, natural hydrogen could reduce hydrogen production costs by 50% or more, accelerate adoption in industries that are hesitant to pay premium green hydrogen prices, and provide a steady, domestic supply of low-cost hydrogen, reducing dependence on imports.
However, scalability remains a question mark. No company has yet proven that natural hydrogen reservoirs can be tapped at an industrial scale. MAX Power’s exploration in Saskatchewan will be one of the first real-world tests to see if natural hydrogen can become a viable commercial energy source. If successful, natural hydrogen could completely change the economics of the hydrogen industry, potentially outcompeting both green and blue hydrogen in cost and scalability.
Hydrogen vs. Battery Electric Vehicles: The Debate Continues
The debate between hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is one of the most heated in the clean transportation space. Many proponents of battery EVs argue that they are the superior solution for all types of transportation, but the reality is far more nuanced. Hydrogen fuel cell technology offers distinct advantages in certain applications, particularly in heavy-duty transport, long-haul trucking, and industrial vehicle operations.
Refueling Speed and Downtime Considerations
One of the most significant advantages of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is refueling speed. Hydrogen vehicles can be refueled in 3-5 minutes, much like traditional diesel or gasoline vehicles. This is a game-changer for commercial fleets that rely on fast turnaround times to maintain productivity.
In contrast, even with the fastest available DC fast chargers, battery electric trucks require at least 30-60 minutes to charge to 80% capacity, and in many cases, a full charge takes multiple hours. For long-haul trucking, where time is money, these delays can result in lost productivity and increased operational costs. Fleet operators cannot afford to have their vehicles sitting idle for hours at charging stations, making hydrogen an attractive alternative for commercial and industrial use cases.
Energy Density and Vehicle Range
Hydrogen fuel cells provide superior energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries. A hydrogen fuel cell truck can achieve ranges of 600-700 miles per tank, whereas most battery electric trucks struggle to exceed 300 miles per charge.
This is particularly critical for long-haul transportation, where refueling or recharging infrastructure is limited. A hydrogen truck can travel longer distances without needing to stop, making it far more practical for cross-country logistics and freight transport.
In contrast, BEVs rely on massive battery packs to achieve longer ranges, which leads to increased weight and reduced cargo capacity. This is one of the most significant trade-offs in battery-electric long-haul trucking. The larger the battery, the heavier the vehicle, which reduces payload capacity and overall efficiency. Hydrogen fuel cells, on the other hand, provide a much better weight-to-energy ratio, allowing trucks to maintain higher payloads while still achieving long ranges.
Weight and Payload Efficiency
Weight is a critical factor in freight transport. A fully electric Class 8 truck, such as the Tesla Semi, requires an extremely large battery pack, often exceeding 8,000-10,000 lbs, to achieve long-range performance. This additional weight reduces the amount of cargo the truck can carry, cutting into profitability for trucking companies.
Hydrogen fuel cell trucks, by comparison, use significantly lighter fuel storage systems. A hydrogen tank and fuel cell system weigh about 50% less than a comparable battery system, allowing for higher payload capacity. In a competitive industry where profit margins are tight, maximizing cargo capacity is essential. This advantage alone makes hydrogen a better choice for industries that depend on high-efficiency logistics and heavy payloads.
Infrastructure and Grid Constraints
One of the biggest challenges facing widespread BEV adoption is the strain it places on the electrical grid. Large-scale deployment of electric trucks would require massive upgrades to grid infrastructure, including new power generation, transmission lines, and charging stations. The cost of these upgrades is projected to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars, creating a major economic barrier to widespread electrification.
Hydrogen refueling infrastructure, while still in its early stages, does not require the same level of grid expansion. Hydrogen can be produced locally through electrolysis, reforming, or natural hydrogen extraction and transported to refueling stations via pipelines or tankers. This decentralized production model allows hydrogen to be deployed more flexibly than large-scale EV charging networks, which require direct grid connections and high-power charging stations.
Additionally, large-scale electrification of trucking fleets could lead to increased peak demand on the grid, exacerbating energy shortages and reliability issues. Many regions already struggle with grid instability, and adding millions of electric trucks to the system could make these problems worse. Hydrogen, on the other hand, provides an alternative energy source that can complement electricity rather than compete with it, helping to balance energy demand across different sectors.
Total Cost of Ownership and Economic Considerations
When comparing hydrogen and battery electric trucks, total cost of ownership (TCO) is a critical factor. Currently, battery electric trucks have lower fuel costs because electricity is generally cheaper than hydrogen. However, this calculation does not account for infrastructure costs, charging downtime, battery replacement, and grid upgrades.
Hydrogen’s production costs are expected to decrease significantly as economies of scale take effect and production technologies improve. By 2030, the cost of green hydrogen is projected to fall to $1.50-$2.00 per kg, making it highly competitive with diesel and electricity. Additionally, the long lifespan and lower maintenance requirements of fuel cells could reduce long-term operating costs, offsetting the initial price premium of hydrogen vehicles.
For fleet operators, downtime is one of the most critical cost factors. Battery electric trucks require longer charging times and frequent recharges, leading to reduced operational efficiency. Hydrogen trucks, with their fast refueling capabilities, allow for continuous operation with minimal downtime, translating to higher revenue potential for fleet operators.
The Future of Hydrogen and BEVs in Transportation
While battery electric vehicles have gained significant traction in passenger cars and short-range applications, hydrogen fuel cells offer distinct advantages for commercial and long-haul transportation. Hydrogen’s fast refueling times, superior energy density, and lower weight make it the better choice for trucking, heavy equipment, and industrial vehicle applications.
Additionally, as hydrogen infrastructure continues to expand and production costs decline, hydrogen vehicles will become even more competitive. Countries like Germany, Japan, and South Korea are investing heavily in hydrogen refueling networks, while companies like Toyota, Honda, and Daimler are developing next-generation fuel cell trucks and buses.
The reality is that the future of transportation will not be a one-size-fits-all solution. While battery electric vehicles are ideal for short-range and consumer applications, hydrogen fuel cells will play a critical role in decarbonizing heavy-duty transport, aviation, shipping, and industrial energy use.
This is precisely the topic I’ll be discussing at the EV Charging Summit in Las Vegas on March 25th from 4-6 PM. If you’re interested in a deeper dive into the economics, infrastructure, and real-world applications of hydrogen versus battery electric vehicles, be sure to attend.
Alright, that’s it for me, everyone. If you have a second, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a good review on whatever platform you listen to. Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google, YouTube, etc. That would be a tremendous help to the show. And as always if you ever have any feedback, you are welcome to email me directly at info@thehydrogepodcast.com. So until next time, keep your eyes up and honor one another.
