@phdthesis{01K513NBJ6F2MYVCQ6MCBCGDDQ,
  abstract     = {{Hydrogen (H₂) has re-emerged as a key component in global climate neutrality strategies,
particularly for ‘hard-to-abate’ sectors such as heavy industry, freight transport, and
aviation. Within this context, Northwestern Europe (NWE)—a central player in the EU’s
hydrogen strategy—has prioritized large-scale hydrogen imports which places the
region at the forefront of shaping emerging hydrogen trade regimes.

Existing policy and academic analyses emphasize technical and economic factors,
such as cost competitiveness and technology readiness, while largely neglecting the
political, historical, and societal forces that shape hydrogen import strategies. As a
result, the emerging hydrogen trade regime is frequently seen as a technocratic and
apolitical endeavor, obscuring its contested and deeply political nature. This dissertation
addresses this analytical gap by asking: What are the energy security implications of
large-scale hydrogen imports into Northwestern Europe?

Drawing on a socio-technical and constructivist framework, hydrogen is examined not
as a neutral energy vector but as a system shaped by technologies, infrastructures,
regulations, and actors. Within this framework, energy security is understood as a
dynamic and multidimensional concept, encompassing national security, the economy,
environmental sustainability, and justice. To further interrogate how these dimensions
unfold in the context of hydrogen imports, this dissertation advances three explanatory
logics—path dependency, actor-based dynamics, and geo-economic power struggles—
that together illuminate the historical, institutional, and geopolitical forces shaping the
evolving hydrogen trade landscape.

The findings showcase that all four dimensions play an important role in shaping the
energy security implications of hydrogen imports in NWE. However, these dimensions
do not always align, leading to trade-offs, and their relative importance has evolved
over time. Early import strategies focused on environmental sustainability goals, while
recent policies have increasingly highlighted national security and economic perspectives.
In contrast, justice concerns continue to be largely overlooked, revealing a significant
gap in current hydrogen import strategies. These changing priorities are the result of
long-lasting path dependencies, fossil fuel incumbent’s interests, and the intensifying
geo-economic power relations.

The dissertation adds four broader reflections to the discussion on hydrogen imports.
First, it argues that the narrative of large-scale hydrogen imports into NWE increasingly
resembles a political mirage rather than a material reality. Second, it links this illusion
to the outsized influence of industrial players, who impede critical scrutiny of the
assumptions underpinning import strategies. Third, it contends that hydrogen is being
strategically deployed as a “Trojan horse” to maintain fossil fuel dependencies while
simulating climate progress. Fourth, it warns that the EU’s obsession with hydrogen
imports functions as a distraction from a more fundamental debate on the future
orientation of its industrial base and the trade-offs such a transition entails.

In sum, this dissertation reveals that hydrogen’s trajectory and energy security implications
are deeply political, shaped by a dense web of actors, historical legacies, and geoeconomic
power struggles. Whether hydrogen becomes a lever for transformative
change or a green façade for preserving the status quo will ultimately depend on
whose interests are served and who gets to shape the outlook of a hydrogen future.}},
  author       = {{Dejonghe, Marie}},
  keywords     = {{Hydrogen,Energy security,Socio-technical systems,Geopolitics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{247}},
  publisher    = {{Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences}},
  school       = {{Ghent University}},
  title        = {{A miracle or mirage? Explaining the energy security implications of large-scale hydrogen imports into Northwestern Europe}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}