In a hundred pages document, the US has published its clean hydrogen strategy and roadmap.

“US National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap” is the report that forms the new bedrock of the American strategy. It involved 50 organisations, including State Departments and NASA*. It sets out the US government’s vision for decarbonisation in all areas over the next 30 years.

The US has decided to allocate 9.5 billion dollars to promote clean hydrogen. The IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) provides further levers to encourage the development of hydrogen in the US.

In this document, the Biden-Harris administration forecasts a production amounting to 10 million metric tonnes per year in 2030, 20 million in 2040 and 50 million in 2050. By that time, hydrogen could meet 10% of US energy needs. America is relying on its research capacity. The country boasts 1,200 patents on hydrogen and fuel cells. Some of these technologies could eventually generate incomes.

The US roadmap targets 1 dollar per kilo of hydrogen

The main objective is to reduce the cost of hydrogen to 1 dollar per kilo. Pragmatically, the Americans intend to take a global approach, combining fossil fuels (with CCUS**) and renewable energies, nuclear power and waste. They even believe they can help the world by providing competitive technologies.

As for the hydrogen industry, 100,000 jobs could be created by 2030, according to the document. But if hydrogen were deployed on a large scale everywhere it is 30 million jobs that could be created, with annual revenues of 2.5 trillion dollars. In this scenario, hydrogen could meet 20% of US energy needs.

In terms of applications, industry will be the sector that will use the largest volumes of hydrogen. However, mobility has not been forgotten since hydrogen will be used for pick-ups, trucks, buses, shipping, trains and aviation (to make sustainable fuels).

The strategy will be reviewed every three years.

*The document also points out that hydrogen played a role in the conquest of space and the first step on the moon.

**CCUS: Carbon capture and storage

Do you want to learn more about the policies implemented by the US government regarding hydrogen? Then this article should interest you.

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King