H2FUTURE SAB member Professor Eremitus Philippe Lambin: “How to demonstrate that the hydrogen promises can become a reality in a low-carbon society is the most exciting question”
When discussing the future of sustainable energy, Professor Eremitus Philippe Lambin is clear about both the challenges and opportunities ahead.
“To demonstrate that the hydrogen promises can become a reality in a low-carbon society and can contribute to sustainable technologies is one of the most exciting research questions”, he states.
He finds the development of photo-catalytic water splitting and the quest for low-carbon steel production particularly appealing.
Lambin’s motivation for joining the H2FUTURE Scientific Advisory Board was rooted in curiosity and a desire for broad scientific engagement.
“I accepted the invitation with pleasure to receive broad information on the latest research developments related to the hydrogen transition for the decarbonization process,” he explains.
For him the subject is important, with many challenges and largely multidisciplinary.
“The H2FUTURE project is based on a rigorous scientific background available at the University of Oulu and collaboration between academia and industry”
According to Lambin, H2FUTURE stands out for its comprehensive scientific foundation and strong collaboration between academia and industry.
“The project is based on a rigorous scientific background available in Oulu University. It involves an already large number of researchers, including four tenure track professors. In addition, it is bringing a real and fruitful collaboration with industry,” he notes.
Lambin believes that this collaborative approach is key to advancing hydrogen research and developing practical solutions for a sustainable future.
Looking ahead, Lambin expects H2FUTURE to establish expertise across the fields involved in the hydrogen transition, leading to new processes that can contribute to low-carbon applications. He describes the programme as very interesting in terms of scientific input and exchanges of ideas across different disciplines.
“The visit of University of Oulu was a discovery of the overall high-level research conducted in Oulu and the large range of scientific equipment available there”, he notes.
“Sustainable use of hydrogen is the best way to get rid of CO₂ emission - however, the challenges are numerous and will require research efforts”
Lambin sees Scientific Advisory Boards having an important guiding role in research projects like H2FUTURE.
“Being external to the project, the SAB is well suited to evaluate the progress made and to identify those parts that are somewhat dragging behind”, he says.
For the future, the SAB can help the H2FUTURE project to refine its main objectives. On the broader topic of hydrogen’s role in sustainability, Lambin is cautiously optimistic.
“On paper, a sustainable use of hydrogen is the best way to get rid of CO₂ emission in transport, energy production, metallurgy. However, the challenges are numerous and will require research efforts on both fundamental and applied domains.”
He acknowledges that hydrogen as a transport fuel may remain a niche for some time due to storage issues but is confident that many other applications are still to be developed.