Global cumulative investment when it comes to clean hydrogen projects has exceeded $130bn as governments increasingly see the fuel as a means for energy security and industrial growth in addition to decarbonization, the Hydrogen Council said on September 10, 2026.
In its Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 report, which was released in conjunction with the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo, the industry group stated that the investment in over 570 committed clean hydrogen projects supports around 6.9 million mt/year of clean hydrogen production capacity.
Almost 90% of the projects are said to be under construction or in operation. It is well to be noted that as per the report, China is responsible for over 50% of the world’s committed renewable hydrogen capacity, whereas Europe is second in investment and the US is leading in the implementation of low-carbon hydrogen.
Existing policies could support 6 million tonnes of yearly hydrogen demand by 2030, with an extra 5 million tonnes possible if governments enact all existing measures, the council said.
But the industry still has certain major obstacles. Many projects are not viable due to high production costs and slow demand for the low-carbon fuel, forcing green hydrogen developers to cut investments and scrap projects around the world.
Green hydrogen was seen as a perfect solution for hard-to-electrify sectors like steelmaking and long-distance transport. But now the switch to the low-carbon fuel seems too expensive.