Tsaiying Lu and members of the Climate Resilience and Sustainability team; Sonia Su, Alex Liu, Chen-yen Chang, and Elizabeth Frost, published an op-ed on the East Asia Forum highlighting structural changes necessary for regional cooperation towards building a rich hydrogen ecosystem.
Hydrogen plays a key role in decarbonisation and energy transition, as outlined in the COP29 Hydrogen Declaration. The Asia Pacific has the potential to meet around half of the global demand for industrial hydrogen, however, key regional supply chain players like Taiwan face obstacles in domestic hydrogen production. As a result, regional decarbonisation efforts are dependent on imports, exports and cross-border investments.
The team addresses several challenges that currently prevent regional cooperation and development. Clarity in national strategies is needed to ensure that all countries orient themselves to the same definitions and goals in order to foster efficient approaches. Additionally, policy fragmentation surrounding different goals creates gaps in which hydrogen initiatives are isolated from broader decarbonisation strategies. As a result, advancement and development of a high functioning hydrogen ecosystem are hindered by misalignment of policy goals and strategies.
Other obstacles in the way of regional-scale development lie in the high cost of production and the challenge of obtaining high-purity water. The op-ed advocates for Taiwan’s advanced technologies which could help provide the water needed for hydrogen production.
The team concludes that “multilateral collaboration is crucial for facilitating a resilient hydrogen ecosystem given the different roles countries play in the supply chain.” Taiwan’s capabilities to assist in deionising water illustrates how different countries can fill in particular niches and work towards cross-sector participation. Ultimately, the authors recommend that Asia Pacific countries use their resources to collaborate with each other to develop a strong regional supply chain. If the Asia Pacific can establish a coordinated, cross-sectoral hydrogen strategy, it will not only enhance industrial competitiveness but also contribute to global energy security and emissions reduction goals.