<p>Since the term &lsquo;hydrogen economy&rsquo; was first used in 1970, there have been several &lsquo;false dawns&rsquo; with bold claims for the speed of transition to hydrogen. This paper argues that this time, for some applications at least, there are grounds for optimism about a future role for decarbonised hydrogen. However, the lesson from history is that bold claims need to be examined carefully and treated with some caution. There are no easy or low-cost solutions to decarbonisation of the energy system, and this is certainly the case for possible deployment of low-carbon hydrogen. This paper addresses the growing attraction of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier over a wide area of applications.</p>
