The recently released U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap has been developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership other federal agencies. It is a comprehensive framework for accelerating the production, processing, delivery, storage, and use of clean hydrogen—a versatile and flexible energy carrier that can be produced with low or zero carbon emissions. REGlobal presents an extract from the summary of the roadmap.

Given its potential to help address the climate crisis, enhance energy security and resilience, and create economic value, interest in producing and using clean hydrogen is intensifying both in the United States and abroad. Zero- and low-carbon hydrogen is a key part of a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to achieve a sustainable and equitable clean energy future. The United States is stepping up to accelerate progress through historic investments in clean hydrogen production, midstream infrastructure, and
strategically targeted research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) in this critical technology.

In November 2021, Congress passed, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This historic, once-in-a-generation legislation authorizes
and appropriates $62 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), including $9.5 billion for clean hydrogen. Furthermore, in August 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law (Public Law 117-169), which provides additional
policies and incentives for hydrogen including a production tax credit that has further boosted a U.S. market for clean hydrogen.

Pathways for clean hydrogen to decarbonize applications are informed by demand scenarios for 2030, 2040, and 2050 with strategic opportunities for 10 million metric tonnes (MMT) of clean hydrogen annually by 2030, 20 MMT annually by 2040, and 50 MMT annually by 2050. These values are based not only the opportunity for clean hydrogen production in the U.S., but on demand for clean hydrogen use across sectors, informed by achieving market competitiveness in specific applications. Using clean
hydrogen can reduce U.S. emissions approximately 10 percent by 2050 relative to 2005, consistent with the U.S. Long-Term Climate Strategy. Third party analysis in DOE’s Pathways to Commercial Liftoff report estimates that by 2030, the hydrogen economy could also result in 100,000 net new direct and indirect jobs due to the build-out of new capital projects and clean hydrogen infrastructure. These jobs include both direct jobs like engineering and construction, and indirect jobs like manufacturing and raw material supply chains.

Realizing these opportunities for clean hydrogen will require lower cost of production, the buildout of midstream infrastructure, and increased hydrogen demand in specific sectors where there are fewer cost-competitive or technically feasible alternatives
for decarbonization.

This roadmap is based on prioritizing three key strategies to ensure that clean hydrogen is developed and adopted as an effective
decarbonization tool for maximum benefit to the United States:

Target strategic, high-impact uses for clean hydrogen. This will ensure that clean hydrogen will be utilized in the highest value applications, where limited deep decarbonization alternatives exist. Specific markets include the industrial sector (e.g., chemicals, steel and refining), heavy-duty transportation, and long-duration energy storage to enable a clean grid. Additional longer-term
opportunities include the potential for exporting clean hydrogen or hydrogen carriers and enabling energy security for our allies.

Reduce the cost of clean hydrogen. The Hydrogen Energy Earthshot (Hydrogen Shot) launched in 2021 will catalyze both innovation and scale, stimulating private sector investments, spurring development across the hydrogen supply chain, and dramatically reducing the cost of clean hydrogen. Efforts will also address critical material and supply chain vulnerabilities and
design for efficiency, durability, and recyclability. Together with investment in midstream infrastructure (storage, distribution), these initiatives can reduce not only the production cost, but also the delivered cost, of clean hydrogen.

Focus on regional networks. Investing in and scaling Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs will enable large-scale clean hydrogen production close to high priority hydrogen users, allowing the sharing of a critical mass of infrastructure. Also, these investments will drive scale in production, distribution, and storage to facilitate market liftoff. Properly implemented, these regional networks will create place-based opportunities for equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Priorities will include reducing environmental impacts, creating jobs – including good-paying union jobs – securing long-term offtake contracts and jumpstarting domestic manufacturing and private sector investment.

This roadmap establishes concrete targets, market-driven metrics, and tangible actions to measure success across sectors. Prioritizing community engagement and use of community benefits plans will also be key to address potential environmental concerns and ensure equity and justice for overburdened, underserved, and underrepresented individuals and communities. The
goals set forth in this strategy aim to deliver the maximum benefits of clean hydrogen to the American people and the global community.

Access the complete roadmap here