The role of hydrogen in UK industry in 2026 EDITOR’S COMMENT www.hpmag.co.uk HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS November/December 2025 3 Experience gained during 2025 has reinforced a practical reality - without sustained investment in fluid power expertise, materials and manufacturing capability, ambitions for hydrogen risk outpacing the infrastructure needed to support them. ‘ ’ As we draw to the close of 2025, hydrogen is increasingly discussed as a pillar of the UK’s future energy system, yet the past year has shown how often the conversation underestimates the role of the industries required to make hydrogen workable at scale. Within that context, hydraulics and pneumatics underpin many of the systems on which hydrogen production, storage and distribution depend. Experience gained during 2025 has reinforced a practical reality - without sustained investment in fluid power expertise, materials and manufacturing capability, ambitions for hydrogen risk outpacing the infrastructure needed to support them. From electrolysis to compression, storage and distribution, hydrogen depends on the controlled movement of fluids under pressure, often in conditions that push existing system tolerances. These are environments where hydraulic and pneumatic technologies have long operated, but hydrogen introduces challenges that cannot be met by legacy solutions alone. High pressures, permeation risks and material degradation require deeper understanding of seals, valves, actuators and system integrity than many current designs were developed for. The UK fluid power sector has extensive experience in safety critical applications, including energy, process industries and heavy engineering. That experience is directly relevant, but relevance alone is not enough. Hydrogen demands adaptation, testing and redesign, particularly when it comes to materials compatibility, leak prevention and longterm reliability. These are not incremental changes. They require investment in research, skills and collaboration across supply chains. There is a risk that hydrogen infrastructure is approached with an assumption that existing components can be repurposed with minimal modification. That approach may reduce costs in the short term, but it increases long term risk. Failures in hydrogen systems will not be judged as isolated component issues but as systemic weaknesses. The performance of fluid power systems will be inseparable from perceptions of hydrogen safety and viability. At the same time, the direction of travel within hydraulics and pneumatics already aligns closely with hydrogen requirements. Greater use of sensors, condition monitoring and integrated control is becoming standard across the sector. In hydrogen applications these capabilities become essential rather than optional, enabling early fault detection, improved maintenance and safer operation. Investment in smarter fluid power is therefore not parallel to the hydrogen transition but part of it. Skills also require attention. As experienced engineers retire, the combination of fluid power knowledge and hydrogen awareness is scarce. Without deliberate investment in training and development, the UK risks relying on imported solutions rather than building domestic capability. That would represent a missed opportunity both economically and strategically. Hydrogen is often described as a technology of the future, yet the decisions that will determine its success are being taken now. For the hydraulics and pneumatics industry, this represents an opportunity to move beyond a purely supporting role and to be recognised as a core contributor to reliable hydrogen infrastructure. As the industry looks ahead to 2026, investment should follow that recognition, not as speculation, but as a practical requirement for systems that must operate safely, efficiently and at scale. I would like to thank our readers and advertisers for their continued support and wish them every success in the year ahead. Aaron Blutstein Editor
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