Which countries are backing the hydrogen economy?

Europe and Latin America have remained active in promoting hydrogen economy

Jay Faris 29 December 2020

Governments around the world are announcing policy statements and releasing hydrogen strategies to support the hydrogen economy.

Australia:

Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy was approved in November 2019, aiming to make the country a major global player in the hydrogen industry by 2030.
Announced AU$146 million for hydrogen projects.
Plan to export hydrogen to Asia.
Australia announced over AU dollar 100 million to support hydrogen research and pilot projects.
Australia published its technical roadmap for hydrogen in cooperation with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Austria:

Austria’s NECP plans to promote hydrogen to help increase the share of renewable energy in total energy consumption to 45-50% by 2030. The government outlined a national hydrogen strategy as part of its policy programme.

Belgium:

Belgian encourage the development of hydrogen projects through subsidies and other legislative initiatives.
It published its hydrogen roadmap in 2018, with long term goals for 2030 and 2050. It also allocated EUR 50 million an investment plan for power-to-gas projects.

Brazil:

Several Brazilian ports states signed MoU with international companies to produce hydrogen for exports purposes.
The government included green hydrogen in its long-term energy plan for 2050. It still lacks public policies for green hydrogen.
Brazil hosted the 2^2nd World Hydrogen Energy Conference in 2018.

Canada:

Canada released its first hydrogen strategy report in December 2020, outlined its strategy at national and provincial levels. The reports claimed that clean hydrogen could deliver around 30% of the country’s end-use energy by 2050.

China:

The central government provides tax reduction and subsidies for FCEVs between RMB 20k to 50k, which vary based on vehicles type and hydrogen fuel cells capacity.
Started building the world’s largest solar-powered hydrogen plant in Nigxia Hui.
City governments provide subsidies of up to RMB 9 million for the building of refuelling stations.
Wuhan is planned to be the first Chinese Hydrogen City and will be a home for around 100 fuel cell automakers and about 300 hydrogen refuelling stations by 2025.
Planned for 5,000 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) by 2020 and one million FCEVs by 2030
Planned for 1,000 refuelling stations by 2030.
Exempted FCEVs and BEVs from vehicle and vessel tax.

Chile:

Chile has signed several MoU recently on a state level.
The Chile energy ministry conducted a study to explore hydrogen production potential in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region.
Chile plans to develop its ten years plan for the hydrogen economy. It plans to the cheapest supplier of green hydrogen and aims to be in the world top three hydrogen exporters.

Colombia:

Colombia to present hydrogen roadmap in the first half of 2021.
Colombia is developing a roadmap for hydrogen deployment and is working on a study to assess the future scenarios for the green and blue hydrogen economy.

Costa Rica:

The state energy companies are exploring opportunities for the country hydrogen economy.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the CRUSA Foundation are studying the green hydrogen opportunities in Costa Rica.

Egypt:

Egypt aims to develop its clean energy industry and increase green energy in the electric energy mix. It is studying to integrate hydrogen into its Energy Strategy 2035.

European Union:

The EU announced in July 2020 that it aims to install 6 GW of renewable hydrogen electrolysers by 2024 which will be expanded to 40GW during 2025-2030. It plans to produce around 1 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen in the region over the next four years which will be increased up to 10 million tonnes by 2030. Beyond 2030, the use of renewable hydrogen will be extended to hard-to-decarbonise sectors.
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a EUR 1.3 billion fund to promote hydrogen technologies in energy and transport.
The EU members with over 1000 companies signed the Linz Declaration “Hydrogen Initiative” to promote sustainable hydrogen technology.

France:

Announced the National Hydrogen Strategy in September 2020.
It announced EUR 100 million funding for prompting hydrogen technology
Set targets for 2023 and 2028 for low-carbon hydrogen in industry and transport.

Germany:

Set a target of 5 GW of green hydrogen generation by 2030 and invest € 7 billion for hydrogen production.
Set the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies for ten years
It announced funding and subsidies of EUR 1.4 billion for promoting hydrogen, particularly in the transport sector.

India:

On 1st February 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman announced launching a National Hydrogen Mission to produce green hydrogen.
In November 2020, PM Narendra Modi announced to launch a comprehensive National Hydrogen Energy Mission.
India wants hydrogen to make up a 4% share in the national energy mix by 2030.
The Indian government published an INR 60 million call for research proposals on hydrogen and fuel cells.

Italy:

Italy announced its new hydrogen strategy aiming for 20% hydrogen share in the total energy demand by 2050.
Introduced regulations (allowing high pressure) to help the deployment of hydrogen refuelling stations.

Japan:

Aims to have 800,000 FCVs by 2030.
6,000 homes in the Olympic Village are equipped with hydrogen.
Hosted the first Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo, which was attended by 21 countries.
Issued a new Strategic Roadmap for implementation of the Basic Hydrogen Strategy.
A consortium launched Japan H2 Mobility intending to install 80 hydrogen refuelling stations by 2021. The consortium will work under the Japanese central government’s Ministerial Council’s supervision on Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Related Issues.

Kazakhstan:

Kazakhstan has started working on a low carbon development policy, covering hydrogen, which will be completed in June 2021.

Morocco:

Morocco launched the national green hydrogen cluster GreenH2 Maroc.
Morocco and Portugal agreed to cooperate on the development of green hydrogen.

Netherlands:

To develop 3-4 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030.
NortH2 vision aims to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind, reaching 10 GW by 2040.
€35 m/year Climate Budget Fund to support various technologies including hydrogen.
Announced a hydrogen roadmap.

New Zealand:

Signed an agreement with Japan for joint hydrogen projects.
Published its Vision and Roadmap for Hydrogen in September 2019.
Established a Green Investment Fund to support hydrogen.

Norway:

Plans to promote hydrogen in transportation and industry. Energix- programme grant of NOK 120 million, including hydrogen technologies.
Funded hydrogen-powered ferry and a coastal route vessel project.

Pakistan:

Asian Development Bank has been conducting a pre-feasible study into the deployment of renewable hydrogen energy in Pakistan.

Portugal:

Approved its National Hydrogen Strategy in May 2020.

Philippines:

Hydrogen potential as energy has been under discussion in the country, and an MoU is signed with an Australian company to replace coal power plants with hydrogen fuel.

Russia:

Russia’s energy ministry is working on a hydrogen strategy in cooperation with Japan and Germany.

Saudi Arabia:

Saudi wants to become the largest producer of hydrogen in the world.
Neom city is aiming to be the hydrogen hub in the country.
Saudi Aramco and Air Products plan to build the first hydrogen refuelling station in Saudi Arabia.

Scotland (UK):

Scotland published its first Hydrogen Policy Statement in December 2020. It set a target to generate 5GW of clean and low carbon hydrogen by 2030 and pledged £100 million for the hydrogen industry during 2021-2026.

South Africa:

President Mr Cyril Ramaphosa announced establishing a Platinum Valley and developing an integrated hydrogen ecosystem.
Under the Green Transport Strategy promoting the use of fuel cell vehicles.

South Korea:

South Korea enforced the world’s first hydrogen law from 5^th February 2021.
Launched the Hydrogen Economy Committee and declared the Green New Deal policy to promote the transition to a hydrogen economy.
Aims to have 6.2 million fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and 1,200 refuelling stations by 2040.
Announced a hydrogen economy roadmap with targets for 2022 and 2040. It set an ambitious goal to convert all commercial vehicles to hydrogen by 2025. Its hydrogen economy roadmap includes a goal of producing 6.2 million fuel cell vehicles and rolling out at least 1,200 hydrogen fuelling stations by 2040.
Announced financial support for refuelling stations and relaxed permitting.

Spain:

In November 2020, the Government announced the allocation of €1.5 billion to boost the use and production of renewable hydrogen by 2023 through the European Recovery Instrument.
In October 2020, the Spanish government’s Council of Ministers at the proposal of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), approved the Hydrogen Roadmap: a commitment to renewable hydrogen. According to the Hydrogen Roadmap, hydrogen consumption in Spain is around 500k tonnes/year, mainly grey hydrogen, used as a raw material in refineries (around 70%) and chemical product manufacturers, with the remaining consumption corresponding to sectors such as metallurgy. In roadmap set a target of installation of 300-600 MW of electrolyser plants in the first phase (2020-2024); the installation of at least 4 GW of electrolyser plants in the second phase (2025-2030), economy based production and application of renewable hydrogen in the third phase (2030-2050).

Tunisia:

In December 2020, Tunisia and Germany signed an MoU with Germany to grant € 30 million (US$ 36 million) to develop the green hydrogen market in Tunisia.

Turkey:

Turkey started blending hydrogen and natural gas at a newly established facility, the Centre for Clean Energy Technologies’ in the central province of Konya.

United Arab Emirates (UAE):

UAE and South Korea signed MoU in March 2021 to promote the hydrogen economy.
The state runs oil company the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and ADQ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance.

United Kingdom:

The UK government announced a national bus strategy with a £3 billion investment in the public transport sector across England.
Established two funds worth GBP 20 million each for innovation hydrogen supply and storage.
Reviewed the feasibility of hydrogen for buildings.
Test blending of up to 20% hydrogen in its natural gas network.
Announced decarbonising Industrial Clusters Mission supported of GBP 170 million.

United States:

Enhanced the 45Q tax credit that rewards the storage of CO2 in geological storage sites.
California toughens its rules to help reduce carbon by 2030 and encourages to get credits from low-carbon hydrogen.
California Fuel Cell Partnership set targets to have 1,000 hydrogen refuelling stations and one million FCEVs by 2030.

This article was last updated on 31st March 2021. We update this page regularly. Bookmark this page to stay up to date.