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While 2020 may be remembered for the tragic COVID-19 crisis, it has also been an unprecedented year for the global energy transition and the growing momentum of hydrogen technology.Many countries, in aligning their pandemic response with longer-term goals, have announced strategies to develop hydrogen as a key energy carrier.In parallel, numerous countries, cities and companies have adopted net-zero targets for energy-related carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, bringing the need for hydrogen to the forefront.But not all types of hydrogen are compatible with sustainable, climatesafe energy use or net-zero emissions.Only "green" hydrogen -produced with electricity from renewable sources -fulfils these criteria, which also entail avoiding "grey" and hybrid "blue" hydrogen.Green hydrogen forms a cornerstone of the shift away from fossil fuels.Its uptake will be essential for sectors like aviation, international shipping and heavy industry, where energy intensity is high and emissions are hardest to abate.Green hydrogen, however, cannot take off without widespread and co-ordinated support across the value chain.The Collaborative Framework on Green Hydrogen, set up by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in mid-2020, offers a platform to strengthen support in co-operation with IRENA's member countries and partners.IRENA studies in 2018-19 highlighted the technical and economic feasibility, while a recent policy-making guide outlines key enabling policies for green hydrogen.Business models, for their part, require careful consideration.The present study, Green hydrogen cost reduction, adds a vital strategic building block, providing insights on how to make this clean supply option widely available and economical.Only five countries had announced their hydrogen strategies by the end of 2019.A year on, nearly 20 have done so, with at least 10 more set to follow within months.Industry investors plan at least 25 gigawatts (GW) of electrolyser capacity for green hydrogen by 2026.Still, far steeper growth is neededin renewable power as well as green hydrogen capacity -to fulfil ambitious climate goals and hold the rise in average global temperatures at 1.5°C.
Baek et al. (Wed,) studied this question.