«Το υδρογόνο σίγουρα προοδεύει», λέει η επικεφαλής του Συμβουλίου
Με δεσμευμένα 110 δισεκατομμύρια δολάρια και 500 και πλέον έργα να προχωρούν, η επόμενη μεγάλη δοκιμασία για το υδρογόνο είναι η ζήτηση, καθώς οι παγκόσμιες αγορές πιέζουν για πραγματικές συμφωνίες αγοράς και κλιμακούμενες επενδύσεις στην καθαρή ενέργεια.
00:00We all know Rome wasn't built in a day, we all know it takes time, but the hydrogen industry is certainly progressing, it's moving forward and it's showing that it has that staying power.
00:12Hello and a very warm welcome to another episode of Energy Frontiers brought to you from our studio in Baku.
00:27This month we look at the hype surrounding hydrogen at a time when the supply side is scaling, but demand remains a significant bottleneck.
00:36The CEO of the Hydrogen Council will share her view on whether global projects are likely to be delivered or delayed in the years ahead.
00:44But first here's an overview of the coalition's latest findings.
00:48The hydrogen industry has passed a major milestone with $110 billion of committed investment globally in more than 500 low-carbon hydrogen projects.
00:59That's according to the first Global Hydrogen Compass report, which points to the sector's challenges having shifted from ambition to execution.
01:10Amongst the biggest constraints to market growth, policy implementation and demand creation.
01:16And despite the industry maturing, around 50 early-stage projects have been cancelled in the past 18 months.
01:2497% of industry leaders surveyed by the Council maintain hydrogen is a critical decarbonisation solution.
01:33But they also warn that cost competitiveness and infrastructure gaps remain significant challenges as hydrogen enters its next phase of build-out.
01:45Ivana, it's great to see you. Thank you so much for joining me from Hamburg today.
01:49Thank you so much, Rebecca. Great to be here. Great to join Energy Frontiers.
01:54Let me start by asking you about hydrogen, because it was long hailed as the fuel of the future.
02:00But some analysts are now saying that the hype is over.
02:04So is it dead or is it simply maturing and growing up?
02:07Thank you for starting us with such a provocative question, Rebecca.
02:12Really appreciate it.
02:14And look, the growing up is a good way to think about what's happening in hydrogen right now.
02:20Just like solar, wind or batteries before, hydrogen is navigating the same cycle of excitement, announcements,
02:28but then ultimately moving to a much more disciplined era of maturation.
02:33You know that at the Hydrogen Council, we are tracking every single publicly announced project out there.
02:40And the number is still an incredibly clear story.
02:43We're really seeing that shift from ambition to delivery.
02:48As we know, Azerbaijan overlaps well strategically with the Hydrogen Council's ambitions,
02:53not least when it comes to advancing cross-border trade routes, but also certification standards across the board.
02:59So can you give me a regional perspective and also a global one when it comes to pipeline projects right now?
03:05So let me start with some of the most striking numbers from our recent report.
03:11110 billion in committed capital, over 510 projects past FID, so final investment decision in construction, in operation.
03:23So that is a real shift.
03:25And what I'm most excited about personally is not just these great numbers.
03:30It's really the trajectory behind them.
03:32So if we look at the progress over the last five years, we are seeing 50% year-on-year growth.
03:38And the difference between 2020 and where we are today is we have 10 times more in committed capital.
03:46That's really significant.
03:49And that's where seeing all the regions, you know, really come through on project delivery.
03:54China is dominating both in terms of overall committed capital, but also in terms of renewable hydrogen production.
04:03Second place is North America, leading on low carbon hydrogen production, thanks to longstanding experience and infrastructure for molecules.
04:13Third, Europe, things have been a little slow, to be honest, although Europe has all the ingredients to be extremely successful as a number one demand center in the world.
04:28As you know, hydrogen is at its best when it connects, when it connects countries, regions with abundant resources.
04:37You mentioned Azerbaijan, so we're really excited about these developments and seeing that countries are leaning in their strengths, which is extremely encouraging.
04:46Plenty to be encouraged by, absolutely.
04:49But also, conversely, plenty of projects have been stalled or delayed.
04:54And of course, the next big test will be demand.
04:56So my question is really, when will policy commitments and pilot projects really turn into truly bankable offtake at scale?
05:03Look, demand really is our next big test.
05:07And you mentioned Baku, Azerbaijan.
05:11We were very proud to represent the industry at COP29 last year, where we supported the hydrogen declaration.
05:20And it was really all about how we activate demand.
05:23And I'm glad to report that we've achieved some progress in just the last 12 months,
05:29whether it's Japan moving forward with its contracts for different schemes,
05:35whether it's Korea organizing some of the first auctions for hydrogen and derivatives,
05:41whether it's Europe coming forward with the clean industrial deal
05:45and the promise of more practical, pragmatic policymaking and rulemaking for hydrogen.
05:52However, it really boils down to the follow through.
05:56We know that if we can fully implement and enforce four key pieces of legislation,
06:03that is the Renewable Energy Directive in Europe, the contracts for different schemes in Japan and Korea
06:10and the tax credit schemes in the U.S.,
06:13we can unlock 8 million tons per year of business cases,
06:20of clean hydrogen demand business cases across those four markets.
06:24And that would be a real moment of lift.
06:27So we have our work cut out for us and really moving very decisively in that direction.
06:33Great to have you on the ground here in Baku for COP29, Ivana.
06:37My question is, how well are we positioned as nations as we head into COP30 in Brazil?
06:42Are we going to deliver on the promises that were made already?
06:45It's really about accelerating action and moving from those, you know,
06:52big announcements, target setting to delivery, to building, to building projects.
06:57And I'm glad to report that both on the business side as well as the policy side,
07:02this is now fully recognized.
07:04And we are heading into COP30 with our focus exactly on those areas.
07:10How do we put in place the right demand signals, the right incentives?
07:15How do we make sure that we can create what some refer to as lead markets?
07:21So the end users where we can really move forward in the near term
07:27and make sure that the commercials, that the business, that the business works.
07:32Well, important to have those commercials.
07:34Absolutely.
07:35Ivana, we have to leave it there.
07:36But thank you again for your time with Euronews today.
07:39Always a pleasure.
07:40Thank you, Rebecca.
07:42Well, that's a wrap of this episode of Energy Frontiers
07:45brought to you from our studio in Baku, Azerbaijan.
07:47Thanks for watching and head to Euronews.com for more.
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