Expert: Transition to hydrogen energy requires political initiatives

Initiatives to develop hydrogen energy technologies will expand, team leader of the Green Hydrogen Division at the International Association of Hydrogen Energy, Muhammad AbuLaban, told Report.

“While initial infrastructure costs are high, long-term economic benefits are expected from reduced dependence on fossil fuels and potential job creation in manufacturing and maintenance sectors, hydrogen potential for storing excess renewable energy and using it later makes it attractive,” he said.

“Governments and energy companies are increasingly interested in energy storage solutions to integrate more renewable energy, policy incentives for renewable energy often include provisions for storage, potentially benefiting hydrogen storage solutions if costs become competitive.

Policymakers will need to consider social equity and environmental justice when promoting hydrogen development, integrating carbon capture and storage (CCS) with hydrogen production is a complex concept with technical and economic challenges, in terms of capture efficiency, storage capacity, and potential leakage risks,” he added.

“Policymakers will need to address these concerns through transparency and robust regulations to gain public trust, repurposing natural gas infrastructure and adapting existing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport also faces technical hurdles and safety considerations, policy initiatives in this area would likely focus on long-term planning and feasibility studies before large-scale implementation,” he noted.

“The development and deployment of hydrogen technologies require international cooperation, policy initiatives at the global level can foster knowledge sharing, encourage joint research projects, and establish common standards for hydrogen production, storage, and transport. A just transition to a hydrogen economy requires ensuring that the benefits are distributed fairly, we need to consider potential job losses in the fossil fuel sector and develop programs to skill workers for new opportunities in the hydrogen economy.”