The emerging enthusiasm of hydrogen has been triggering more than 15 countries to release hydrogen-related national strategies. Noted that, hydrogen is viewed as a clean fuel that can decarbonize the hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy transport shipping and industries. However, COVID-19 disruption has created a calamity towards the energy supply and demand. To cope with this situation, the National University of Singapore collaborated with ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT II) and International Energy Agency to conduct a webinar with a questionable yet interesting topic: Hydrogen: More Hype Than Opportunity?

• The virtual webinar was attended by Dr David Broadstock – Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Energy Economics Division Energy Studies Institute at NUS, Muhammad Shidiq – Senior Research Analyst of ACCEPT II, and Dr Abdullah Al-Abri – Consultant from the International Energy Agency. The discussion was hosted by Dr Aisha Al-Sarihi – Research Fellow of Middle East Institute at NUS. It was conducted on 18 July 2023 virtually through Zoom.
• Taking the issue of rapid hydrogen deployment, the event shared expert perspectives from economics, regional, and its Middle East countries. The unique insights of hydrogen development had brought the discussion forward on planning to put hydrogen as a puzzle piece to achieve the net zero target.
• As Singapore released the National Hydrogen Strategy the webinar was expected to explore more hydrogen opportunity from diverse consideration to assess hydrogen development viability; technically and commercially.

Hydrogen has always been an interesting topic to be discussed. Singapore, as the pioneer of the National Hydrogen Strategy in ASEAN region has been conducting advanced research on market opportunities, risk assessment, and technology viability toward hydrogen development. However, the webinar uniquely brought a perspective from Middle East, in this case, the oil-producing Gulf Arab states to participate in the discussion. Dr David Broadstock conveyed that market uncertainty has been an emerging issue since Covid-19 pandemic which persist in both supply and demand sides of hydrogen market. The shrunken supply chain of hydrogen has consequence an increasement of price and affected market availability. Unfortunately, Dr David Broadstock stated that it is seemingly no way backwards regarding to those impacts at the moment.

In this opportunity, Muhammad Shidiq highlighted that there is a growing ambition for hydrogen production and utilization and Southeast Asia. Indeed, there is a tremendous opportunity for ASEAN to take responsibility as hydrogen producer. On the other hand, the main constraint of hydrogen development in ASEAN is still dominated by the high-cost that needed to support hydrogen-related research, infrastructure, and implementation. Still, the hydrogen is still not yet to be commercially viable in ASEAN region.

On top of that, the gulf Arab States – which is well known as the oil producer also shares their insight on current hydrogen development. The gulf countries also have joined the race of the net zero which involving high interest on hydrogen deployment. Indeed, there is an occurring dilemma of having and expecting for energy demand to be growing globally for greater energy access. Dr Abdullah Al-Abri delivered that hydrogen has made a rapid start for the last few decades. However, the market dynamics still require some maturations. From the perspective of Golf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, investments and partners are prominent to extend more opportunities in hydrogen development. On the other hand, he also mentioned that energy security in ASEAN countries is also important to keep all the engines and all the economic runs.

In conclusion, to rapidly enhance hydrogen development in the ASEAN, the countries need to maintain inter-region cooperation and determine specific target on hydrogen market, investment and infrastructure, as well as government readiness in order to include hydrogen as part of achieving the net zero target.

Detailed information on ACCEPT II can be found at https://accept.aseanenergy.org/.  

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