Technical Section Editorial
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As hydrogen gains momentum across the global energy landscape, it is also creating a new set of questions for early-career professionals. Where are the real career opportunities? What skills matter most? And how should young engineers prepare for a field that is evolving across technology, infrastructure, policy, and deployment pathways?
These questions were all raised during a recent webcast on SPE Live, Building a Career in Hydrogen: A Conversation with Young Professionals on Skills, Opportunities, and Industry Needs, held 25 March 2026 and organized by the SPE Hydrogen Technical Section (H2TS).
Moderated by a coauthor of this article, Sonia López Kovács, an SPE H2TS board member and reserves audit leader at Repsol, the session brought together three young professionals working across academia, research, and industry. They included Cindy Dianita, an assistant professor at the University of Indonesia, Amine Ifticene, a production engineer at Occidental Petroleum, and Sarah Wheeler, a research engineer at the Southwest Research Institute.
The discussion made one point especially clear: hydrogen is opening promising career pathways. However, success in the field will depend less on following a trend and more on building durable technical capability, interdisciplinary awareness, and the ability to contribute to a rapidly changing energy system.
Hydrogen’s growing relevance stems in part from its breadth. It is not a single technology or a narrow specialty. We believe it spans production, storage, transport, infrastructure, end-use applications, safety, and systems integration.
This wide-ranging value chain means hydrogen is drawing interest from professionals in chemical, mechanical, petroleum, process, materials, and systems engineering, as well as from those working in digital and data-centered roles.
With all this opportunity, there is also complexity.
The hydrogen sector is developing alongside broader energy-transition efforts. It is bringing increased investment, experimentation, and strategic attention. At the same time, it still faces familiar engineering and commercial hurdles. Some of the biggest include costs, infrastructure availability, and practical deployment at industrial scale.
For young professionals, all these factors mean they are entering a sector with strong long-term potential, but one that still requires patience.
One of the strongest themes from the panel was the continued importance of engineering fundamentals. Even in a field often associated with innovation and policy ambition, the speakers emphasized that early-career professionals should begin with a solid technical base.
Core competencies such as problem solving, process understanding, safety awareness, and systems thinking remain essential. Hydrogen may be an emerging field, but the demands placed on engineers are familiar.
Technical professionals in this field must understand the physics, the process, and the operating constraints.
That said, the panel also stressed that technical depth alone is not enough. Hydrogen projects often sit at the intersection of multiple domains. The list includes subsurface resources, surface facilities, transportation systems, carbon management, regulation, and economics.
Young professionals entering the field will be better positioned if they can work across these interfaces rather than remaining confined to a narrow discipline. Interdisciplinary fluency and continuous learning are increasingly becoming baseline expectations for those who enter the field.
Equally important are the professional skills that support technical work. Communication, teamwork, and leadership were highlighted as critical differentiators. These skill sets are viewed as key advantages in an emerging field where projects require alignment across functions and stakeholders.
Engineers who can explain technical trade-offs clearly and work effectively in cross-functional settings will add value more quickly. In a sector where technology, policy, and economics are moving together, the ability to communicate across boundaries is becoming as important as technical specialization itself.
Another key theme was the role of research and development. Because the hydrogen economy is still taking shape, young professionals have the opportunity not only to participate in deployment, but also to influence innovation.
The panel encouraged early-career engineers to seek diverse experiences and stay engaged with both research and industrial practice. Whether in academia, applied research, or operations, there is significant value in helping bridge the gap between emerging concepts and scalable solutions.
Looking over the next 5 to 10 years, the panelists expect hydrogen to continue growing in importance as decarbonization pressures intensify and energy systems diversify.
That growth is likely to increase demand for capabilities in hydrogen safety, systems integration, and digital technologies. This is all in addition to traditional engineering competencies.
For many young professionals, the most valuable preparation may not be mastery of one narrow hydrogen niche, but the ability to connect technical knowledge across multiple parts of the value chain.
The discussion also highlighted that hydrogen is unlikely to develop uniformly across regions or applications.
Blue hydrogen, produced from natural gas with carbon capture and storage, may offer a more immediate pathway in areas with established gas infrastructure and carbon-management capability.
Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis using renewable power, represents a longer-term route toward lower-carbon energy systems.
For early-career professionals, understanding these distinctions is important. The required skill sets, project economics, and near-term career opportunities may vary significantly depending on geography and stage of market development.
The conversation concluded on a note of optimism grounded in practicality. Hydrogen is becoming part of a broader transformation in how the energy industry approaches resilience, carbon intensity, and system design. This creates opportunity, but also clear expectations. Those who build strong technical foundations, remain curious, and develop the ability to work across disciplines will be best positioned to contribute.
As López Kovács noted during the session, hydrogen is “not just a fuel—it’s a platform for energy diversification and sustainable growth.” That may be the most useful way for young professionals to view the field. While many view it as a standalone niche, we believe it to be a space where engineering, innovation, and long-term energy transition increasingly intersect.
Sonia López Kovács, SPE, is a reserves audit leader in Repsol Spain, with over 25 years of experience in the energy industry, specializing in reservoir engineering, reserves management, and technical leadership across Europe, Southeast Asia, the North Sea, and the Americas. She is currently focused on reserves auditing and supporting low-carbon projects. An active member of SPE, she serves as chair of the Spain Section, SPE Oil and Gas Reserves Committee, SPE Europe Membership Chair for the Geothermal Technical Section (SPE GTTS) and is program chair of H2TS. She also participates in carbon capture and storage and geothermal committees within the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers. López Kovács holds petroleum engineering degrees, MSc degrees in reservoir, management and renewable energies, along with an MBA. She also currently serves on the H2TS board of directors as the EU regional champion.
Ardian Nengkoda, SPE, is a distinguished petroleum consultant at Saudi Aramco, bringing nearly 3 decades of global experience in the energy industry to his role. He is renowned for his expertise in production and facilities development, business process optimization, and scenario planning. With a PhD in chemical engineering, Nengkoda has earned numerous prestigious industry awards, including the SPE Middle East-North Africa Projects, Facilities & Construction Award, the GPA Award, and the SPE Middle East Project & Facilities Challenges Award. Beyond his professional achievements, Nengkoda is dedicated to shaping the future of the energy sector through his volunteer service with SPE. He has also shared his knowledge and expertise as an adjunct professor at the University of Indonesia and currently serves as a board member of the SPE H2TS.