Can Hydrogen Help the World Accelerate to Net-zero Targets?

Hydrogen as a fuel source has been gaining popularity as countries accelerate towards climate mitigation targets and net-zero goals. Majority of the hydrogen supplies in the global market are produced by fossil fuels (grey hydrogen) and these production processes are responsible for significant quantities of carbon emissions. However, what is critical today is neither grey or blue hydrogen but the production of green hydrogen where renewable energy-based electricity supports hydrogen production.

Japan has been a pioneer in the development of hydrogen development technologies for various applications. Japan's National hydrogen strategy (2017) and the Environment Innovation Strategy, (2020) have given policy priority to the development of hydrogen, its usage and promotion. The country has also proposed the development of a hydrogen society in Asia, which envisions joint production, sharing of technology and replicating usage of hydrogen across the Asian region. Globally, several countries are already developing plans for commercial production of hydrogen and inclusion of the same in their respective energy mix. However, the policies need to present a clear roadmap for developing green hydrogen and implementation plans to facilitate greater collaboration among countries.

This workshop discussed the progress of developing hydrogen technology, manufacturing, storage and its efficient usage in the global energy mix. The workshop was in two sessions, one focusing on the Asian Experiences and the other highlighting the Lessons from International Scene.