Many countries are now speeding up the development of a strong green hydrogen industry. China and India may soon be competing for the top position in the global hydrogen market. Analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reckon that both China and India could become the largest producers of green hydrogen.
"I think both China and India have potential to become major powers… not just as a potential supplier and also exporters of clean hydrogen, but also [as] consumers [and] users of clean hydrogen," senior fellow at CSIS Jane Nakano said. Currently, China, like most other countries, produces and consumes gray hydrogen, which is obtained from natural gas and fossil fuels. Green hydrogen is too expensive to produce. So, the country is taking baby steps in order to switch to renewable energy. China is currently the world’s largest hydrogen manufacturer, with an output of around 33 million tons per year. A great bulk of this volume is made from fossil fuels. India is planning to generate 5 million tons of green hydrogen per year by 2030. However, almost all of the hydrogen produced in the country is still gray.
Some analysts stress that the world energy market is highly likely to be transformed considerably by the middle of the 21st century. It is projected to combine renewable energy, nuclear, and hydrogen production. However, it will hardly become completely carbon-free.
