New interactive data tools to track and inform development of low-emissions hydrogen production

Today we release two interactive data tools that allow users to explore developments related to low-emissions hydrogen projects worldwide. The data tools complement the Global Hydrogen Review 2023, published in September, and the updated hydrogen production and infrastructure projects databases, which were released in October.

Momentum is increasing around low-emissions hydrogen as a way to boost energy security and support decarbonisation in sectors where emissions are hard to abate and alternative solutions are either unavailable or difficult to implement, such as heavy industry and long-distance transport.

The first of the new data tools released today is an interactive map of low-emissions hydrogen production projects around the world. This provides a snapshot of progress on hydrogen production, with data on almost 2 000 projects that are either already in operation or have been announced. It shows that most projects to date are concentrated in Europe and Australia, but a growing number are planned in Africa, China, India, Latin America and the United States.

Secondly, we have launched a new interactive tool to allow users to assess the levelised cost of hydrogen production from solar PV and onshore wind in different locations worldwide. Based on the hourly solar PV and onshore wind capacity factors of locations around the world, the tool displays the cost-optimal capacities for solar PV, wind and electrolysers, as well as the need for flexibility options such as hydrogen storage, battery storage or curtailment. Users can adjust assumptions about costs, including the cost of capital, to visualise different potential outlooks for the cost of low-emissions hydrogen production. The tool has been developed using the ETHOS model suite of the Institute of Energy and Climate Research-3 at Research Centre Jülich.

Low-emissions hydrogen production can grow massively by 2030, with the number of project announcements expanding rapidly, as highlighted by the Global Hydrogen Review 2023. However, ensuring that these announced projects reach completion will require policy action to stimulate demand for low-emissions hydrogen and to overcome delays in implementing support schemes and addressing regulatory barriers that are hampering scale-up.

These interactive maps present the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) production from solar PV and onshore wind. For each location and its hourly solar PV and onshore wind capacity factors, the cost-optimal capacities for solar PV, wind and electrolysers as well as the need for flexibility options, such as hydrogen storage, battery storage or curtailment, have been determined using the ETHOS model suite of the Institute of Energy and Climate Research - IEK-3 at Research Centre Jülich.

In addition to the LCOH maps, the solar PV capacity share maps depict the optimal share of solar PV capacity in the total solar PV and onshore wind capacity combined. A value of 100% represents a system supplied by solar power only, 0% stands for purely wind-based hydrogen production. The values in between describe different hybrid system configurations.