“Green” Hydrogen Products and Their Economic End-Uses: A Statistical Perspective

Abstract

Abstract Mitigation of greenhouse gasses heightens attention on hydrogen as a crucial element in the global energy transition, while combating climate change. Building on previous analyses of hydrogen projects compiled by the International Energy Agency (IEA), this paper provides an updated and comprehensive analysis of this database while delving deeper into the intricacies of hydrogen products and their economic end-uses. Given the availability of alternative technologies in some sectors, it is crucial to understand the nuances of hydrogen projects, particularly in "hard-to-decarbonize" or "hard-to-abate" sectors such as iron and steelmaking, where the key benefit of using green hydrogen is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the process and energy use. Therefore, this paper’s objective is to provide insights into the distribution, technologies, and trends of hydrogen projects produced with renewable power, while unraveling the diverse products of these projects and identify the sectors benefiting most from them. Employing a rigorous statistical data analysis, a dataset encompassing approximately 2000 hydrogen projects worldwide is scrutinized. These questions guide the investigation: a) What is the distribution of hydrogen projects across different countries globally? b) What are the key trends in technology choice over time? c) What are the key trends of hydrogen projects using renewable energy? d) What are the primary products of green hydrogen projects? e) Which end-use sectors are benefiting from the “green” hydrogen products the most? The findings reveal a spectrum of internationally pursued hydrogen-derived products, ranging from hydrogen to ammonia and beyond. Moreover, they provide insights into industries that stand to gain from innovation, including mobility, ammonia production and other industrial applications. This paper significantly contributes to the understanding of “green” hydrogen products, and their end-uses. Governments and businesses can leverage this knowledge to make informed policy and investment decisions in a rapidly evolving market.