Low-carbon hydrogen could fulfill its potential to help the world reach net-zero emissions, but not without government support, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Monday.

In its Global Hydrogen Review 2021, the world’s energy watchdog said production today is minimal, costs are not yet competitive and its use in “promising” industry and transport sectors remains limited. 

However, “there are encouraging signs that it is on the cusp of significant cost declines and widespread global growth,” the researchers said. For example, when IEA issued a special report about hydrogen in 2019, “only France, Japan and Korea had strategies” to use hydrogen.

Compare that with today. 

Seventeen governments have announced hydrogen strategies and more than 20 others...