As interest in renewable energy continues to rise, hydrogen is still one of the main contenders in the race to the top. Both green and blue hydrogen technologies contribute to reducing carbon emissions, with IDTechEx's portfolio of Hydrogen Research Reports and Subscriptions covering the latest developments within the sector.
Electrolysis and green hydrogen
Electrolysis has become a familiar term within the renewable energy sector as the primary method for producing one of the cleanest forms of hydrogen: green hydrogen. In a water electrolysis system, water and renewable electricity are used to produce hydrogen and oxygen. IDTechEx's report, "Green Hydrogen Production & Electrolyzer Market 2027-2037: Technologies, Players, Forecasts", explores different electrolyzer technologies for green hydrogen production in detail. The four main electrolyzer types covered in this report are alkaline water electrolyzer (AEL), anion exchange membrane electrolyzer (AEMEL), proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEMEL), and solid-oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC).
High costs remain the main barrier to the widespread adoption of green hydrogen. To address this, governments have introduced tax credits, grants, and other means of financial support to encourage corporations to increase their use of renewable energy and align with global carbon emissions. The EU Innovation Fund and the UK's Net Zero Hydrogen Fund are some examples of key legislations helping to drive the hydrogen economy forward. Government initiatives, alongside other drivers including private sector investments and new business models to support low-carbon hydrogen are expected to increase green hydrogen's contribution to the renewable energy sector. The growth of green hydrogen will also depend on improving technology efficiency, reducing production costs, advancing manufacturing processes, and expanding end-use applications that create demand for the gas.
Blue hydrogen from existing infrastructures
Although green hydrogen is widely regarded as the cleanest form of hydrogen, it is not the only pathway to low-carbon hydrogen. Its widespread adoption is constrained by high production costs and the availability of affordable renewable electricity, which is often limited by the intermittency of solar and wind resources. Blue hydrogen, on the other hand, is helping to reduce the carbon footprint of hydrogen production by incorporating carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies into existing fossil fuel-based hydrogen production processes.
Implementing the means to capture the carbon that is produced from developed hydrogen processes means that low-carbon hydrogen can be achieved without the need for drastic or costly infrastructure changes. Blue hydrogen can therefore serve as a transition solution between grey and green hydrogen, to accommodate the rising demand for low-carbon hydrogen while green hydrogen deployment remains slow. IDTechEx's report, "Blue Hydrogen Production and Markets 2026-2036: Technologies, Forecasts, Players", explores the role of blue hydrogen in the clean hydrogen transition, key materials and equipment used in blue hydrogen, and discusses CCUS technologies for blue hydrogen.
Decarbonizing ammonia
As part of decarbonizing the hydrogen sector as a whole, the development of low-carbon ammonia also has an important role to play as a hydrogen carrier fuel. IDTechEx has recently published research into the ammonia market, as one of the most produced chemicals worldwide. Considering ammonia is largely affected by the volatility of natural gas, new technologies are being explored to create ammonia from low-carbon sources, much like in the hydrogen sector, to also contribute to decarbonizing the process. Green and blue ammonia can be created from either renewable energy sources, or processes that integrate CCUS technologies respectively, as with green and blue hydrogen. The report, "Ammonia Market 2026-2036: Technologies, Forecasts, Players", goes into further detail and explores some of the main drivers behind decarbonizing ammonia, as well as the key technologies and processes utilized.
For more information, visit IDTechEx's portfolio of Hydrogen Research Reports and Subscriptions for the latest research, forecasts, and developments across the entire hydrogen value chain.
