Josh McMorrow of Path2 Hydrogen & GenH2 on HYSKY Pod: Hydrogen is Liquid Electricity

HYSKY Society
5 days ago
4 min read

How GenH2 and Path2 Hydrogen Fit Together

Many listeners know GenH2 for its liquid hydrogen trailer systems, but not everyone understood how it connects to Path2 Hydrogen. On the 12th episode of HYSKY Pod, Josh McMorrow explains that GenH2 grew out of decades of NASA research at Kennedy Space Center focused on liquefying and storing hydrogen with minimal loss. The company is young, only four or five years old, but its technical roots run deep.

The second company, formerly called Philomaxcap, has now been rebranded as Path2 Hydrogen. That change was completed in August and approved in Munich. Path2 Hydrogen is publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and earlier this year it acquired GenH2. The result is simple. Path2 Hydrogen is the parent. GenH2 is now a full subsidiary. McMorrow is the CEO of Path2 Hydrogen and the Executive Chairman of GenH2, leading both from Berlin.

Josh McMorrow's is very clear about the mission of Path2 Hydrogen and GenH2, “We have a mission to advance hydrogen infrastructure globally.”

A Career Built Around Energy and Curiosity

McMorrow did not begin in hydrogen. He started in Texas courtrooms as a trial lawyer after graduating from the University of Texas School of Law. His shift into industrial gases came when Air Liquide recruited him into their legal team. That job exposed him to the world of oxygen, nitrogen and especially hydrogen. The work fascinated him. He learned the business models, the challenges and the potential that most people still had not recognized. He recalls how hydrogen was perceived in those early years,

“The joke at the time, which probably many people have heard, is that hydrogen is always five years away.” - Josh McMorrow

For a long time, that felt true. Then in the last several years, the momentum has finally begun to change.

Over the next two decades, he became general counsel or chief legal officer at multiple global public companies. Hydrogen kept showing up in his work, especially when he was at Energy Vault working on hybrid energy storage systems that used both hydrogen and batteries.

Eventually he joined the supervisory board of Philomaxcap and orchestrated the acquisition of GenH2, which led to his current leadership roles.

Throughout the interview, it becomes clear that his interest in hydrogen has always been steady and grounded. He is not a hype driven person. He simply believes hydrogen is one of the strongest tools available for a low carbon energy future.

The Appeal of Liquid Hydrogen LH2

Josh McMorrow describes liquid hydrogen in a way that sticks with listeners by saying, “We sort of like to think of liquid hydrogen as liquid electricity.”

The phrase captures both the density and the utility of LH2. It can be transported, stored and used with flexibility, and when it is consumed, the only byproduct is water.

GenH2’s core mission is to take hydrogen in any form and make it liquid, store it and move it without losses. This matters because availability and logistics remain some of the biggest hurdles in the hydrogen industry.

Path2 Hydrogen and the Full Ecosystem

Stepping back from GenH2, Path2 Hydrogen has a much bigger mission. McMorrow thinks in classical energy terms. Upstream, midstream, downstream. GenH2 fills a major part of midstream.

Upstream includes production methods such as geologic hydrogen, which is why Path2 Hydrogen recently announced a partnership with Proton H2. Downstream includes aviation, heavy transport, maritime and grid power.

Path2 Hydrogen wants to become the leading pure play hydrogen company in the world. McMorrow explains that diesel alone is a trillion dollar annual market. Hydrogen can replace it in many cases with the right infrastructure and logistics. The opportunity is enormous.

Germany, Europe and the Geopolitical Push for Hydrogen

McMorrow explains why Path2 Hydrogen went public in Frankfurt instead of the United States. Part of it was timing and opportunity, but a larger part was Europe’s relationship with hydrogen. Europe sees hydrogen not just as a climate tool but as an energy security necessity. After the war in Ukraine disrupted gas supplies, European policy shifted quickly. Nations want energy independence. They want to produce power domestically, without relying on Russian gas or Chinese battery minerals.

Hydrogen fits that need. It can be produced within national borders, distributed domestically and used locally. For Europe, that matters.

McMorrow summarizes hydrogen’s versatility with, “There is a reason why hydrogen is called the Swiss Army knife of power.”

Aviation, ZeroAvia, H2 Creo and Long Endurance Drones

McMorrow confirms that GenH2 has been in discussions with ZeroAvia for several years, primarily around liquefiers. Aviation companies working on drones, eVTOL aircraft or even larger planes will almost always need liquid hydrogen on site. Even if they store gaseous hydrogen onboard, the most efficient way to keep fuel available is to store it as liquid and vaporize it before fueling.

He also highlights a lesser known part of GenH2. The company includes H2 CREO, a Korean group that once set the world record for the longest hydrogen powered drone flight. Their deep experience with hydrogen storage, transfer and onboard systems is one reason so many aerospace companies reach out to GenH2.

McMorrow makes the point that liquid hydrogen sits at minus 253 degrees Celsius. That means extreme temperatures do not scare it. If the surrounding hardware can survive the cold, the fuel will perform without issue.

Leadership, Optimism and the Rewards of a Team

McMorrow describes himself as an optimist who believes in taking action, making decisions and moving forward even when the solution is not obvious. He explains that he prefers building alongside a team, sharing both the setbacks and the breakthroughs. For him, the most rewarding moments are when a group overcomes obstacles together and turns an uncertain idea into something real. He says he values being in the arena, facing the hard problems and pushing toward a future he believes in.

The Future of Hydrogen Aviation

As the episode closes, McMorrow leaves a question for the next HYSKY Pod guest, David Smith of Robinson Helicopter. He asks what year hydrogen aviation will reach ten percent of the market.