Challenges in Green Hydrogen Production

Central European green hydrogen projects are facing hurdles due to high electricity costs and regulatory challenges. However, regions like Scandinavia and the Iberian Peninsula are advancing more rapidly, benefiting from lower electricity prices.

In addition, densely industrialized regions such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and the German North Rhine-Westphalia area may not have enough renewable energy to produce sufficient green hydrogen for their own demand in the foreseeable future. This is why we expect that the import of hydrogen will play a major role in the energy supply in Europe.

International Collaboration at World Hydrogen 2024

The event featured strong international participation, particularly from hydrogen-exporting nations. Countries like Canada and Australia and regions like Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa showcased their progress and emphasized the significance of global partnerships in advancing the hydrogen industry.

We appreciate the initiatives and commitment of local hydrogen organizations such as APEX Brasil and the Belgian Hydrogen Council to foster relationships that can commonly shape the hydrogen value chain. A common challenge in the hydrogen industry is bringing together suppliers and off-takers. World Hydrogen 2024, like any other recent fairs, proved that the world is making major progress in this area.

Technological Advances and Investment

Significant technological advancements and investments in hydrogen projects were underscored. The industry is expected to attract over $300 billion in investments by 2030, with most projects concentrated in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

We have two major reservations in this respect:

1. Are the announced projects feasible? Many projects are announced, only a few of them reach a Final Investment Decision. And even after FID, projects are sometimes suspended or downsized because of increasing (renewable) energy costs.
2. Is the electrolyzer manufacturing industry mature enough? As a result of large investments and funding, many new companies emerge, but it remains to be seen whether all these companies can live up to the expectations.

Honesty is the Best Policy

We learned that many visitors at the Exion Hydrogen booth raised critical questions regarding the pace at which the producers of water electrolyzers can deliver reliable equipment. We understand this concern because equipment manufacturing companies tend to over-promise to get their required funding.

At Exion Hydrogen, we take a different approach in that we only want to bring our first electrolyzer to the market if we are really confident about the performance of the equipment. In addition, we will make sure that our support is on point from day one to ensure that our clients can achieve their hydrogen production goals.

In the run-up to the launch of our HyGGe™️ 100A Electrolyzer, we rather prefer to under-promise and over-deliver. It was refreshing to notice that the visitors of our booth embraced this philosophy. We have made many interesting connections for future collaborations, and we can’t wait until the Hydrogen Technology Expo (HTE) 2024 in Hamburg and World Hydrogen 2025 in Rotterdam to follow up on our contacts and to update the world on our progress.