PhD defense alert: Marie Dejonghe

A miracle or mirage? Explaining the energy security implications of large-scale hydrogen imports into Northwestern Europe

You are invited to join the PhD Defense of:

Name: Marie Dejonghe

Title: A miracle or mirage? Explaining the energy security implications of large-scale hydrogen imports into Northwestern Europe

Topic:

Hydrogen (H₂) is rapidly gaining prominence in global climate strategies, especially for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like heavy industry, freight transport, and aviation. Within this context, Northwestern Europe has positioned itself as a frontrunner, advancing an ambitious agenda centered on large-scale hydrogen imports. While policy and academic debates often frame hydrogen through technical and economic lenses, this dissertation reveals its deeply political character. Drawing on a socio-technical and constructivist approach, it examines hydrogen not as a neutral energy carrier but as a system shaped by historical legacies, infrastructures, actors, and power dynamics. Focusing on energy security, the dissertation explores how aspects of environmental sustainability, economic interests, national security strategies, and justice imperatives compete and intersect in shaping the hydrogen trade landscape. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that hydrogen occupies contested ground: will it prove to be a miracle—catalyzing a just and green transformation of carbon-intensive sectors and contributing to global justice—or a mirage, preserving the status quo beneath the veneer of a green transition?

Date defense: 9 September 2025 | 6 PM

Place: Paviljoen Charles Vandenhove, Campus Boekentoren, Rozier 1, 9000 Ghent

Registration: Please fill in this form if you plan to join the defense live. The public defense is followed by a reception and dinner (registration required!).