Singapore-US Forum: Advancing Hydrogen Technology Commercialisation in Asia

As the global race to decarbonise intensifies, hydrogen is emerging as a game-changer in the clean energy transition.

In the Singapore-US Forum’s session on "Supporting Commercialisation of Hydrogen Technologies and Systems", moderator Landon Derentz, Senior Director, Morningstar Chair, Global Energy Security, Atlantic Council, guided panellists through an in-depth discussion on the challenges and opportunities in bringing hydrogen technologies to market.

Addressing Asia's growing energy demand through hydrogen

As Asia's electricity demand is projected to surge by 32 percent over the next decade, the region faces mounting pressure to transition to cleaner energy sources. With thermal power still projected to make up 43 percent of Asia's power generation by 2030, hydrogen offers a promising path for decarbonisation.

The panellists discussed hydrogen's potential to transform industries, transportation, and energy systems. They also addressed the immense challenges tied to scaling production and building the necessary infrastructure. The importance of long-term policy support and investments to help hydrogen solutions thrive was repeatedly emphasised.

The need for long-term, technology-neutral policies

Policies that are technology-agnostic and focus on carbon intensity, rather than specific hydrogen "colours", will be crucial to driving the sector's development.

Hayley Pham, Vice President, AP Business Development, Low Carbon Solutions, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific, highlighted the need for countries to explore diverse hydrogen production pathways for energy security, depending on local resources. She urged policymakers to prioritise "the carbon intensity of the product rather than the colours". This would help drive investment and efforts in thinking about the processes upstream.

Kazunari Fukui, Asia Decarbonization Leader, GE Gas Power, echoed this sentiment. He stressed that such policies will help develop a range of different hydrogen production technologies. Additionally, policies that support long-term investments in hydrogen are crucial to ensure investor and customer confidence in the commercial viability of hydrogen projects. "We need to be patient in this space in terms of using a portfolio of technologies to achieve the transition, rather than saying what is the end goal and just going for that," he said.

Engagement and harmonisation of standards

For hydrogen technologies to scale effectively and lower costs, Vipul Tuli, Chairman, South Asia, CEO, Hydrogen Business & Middle East, Executive Director, UK, Sembcorp, stressed the importance of broad harmonisation of standards across countries versus rigid standardisation. This would help reduce costs, scale projects more effectively, and encourage off-takers for projects.

He advocated for strong engagement between policymakers, institutions, and technology developers, given the rapid pace of innovation in the hydrogen sector.

Svein Erik Oeiestad, Head of Business Development and Sales in Singapore, Amogy, added that strong engagement with governments has been essential to his company's expansion into markets like Singapore, South Korea, and Norway. In these countries, strong support and pilot projects have helped build the hydrogen value chain and stimulate demand.

Collaborating to build a resilient hydrogen supply chain

The panellists agreed that collaboration between countries is crucial in the coming year to build a resilient hydrogen supply chain.

Singapore, in particular, can play a pivotal role as a staging point for hydrogen storage and transfer of inventory between countries. By spearheading the development of infrastructure for hydrogen and ammonia bunkering, Singapore could establish itself as a leader in global regulatory standards.

These standards could streamline processes and encourage the adoption of cleaner fuels worldwide. With its clear leadership and strategic position, Singapore has the potential to showcase new technologies and become a global example of innovation in the energy sector.

The session highlighted the importance of policy frameworks and technology-agnostic approaches to support the commercialisation of hydrogen technologies. Mr Derentz concluded on the note that while much progress has been made, there is still a great deal to accomplish in the coming year.

The panel said they looked forward to reconvening at next year's SIEW to assess the advancements in hydrogen technologies and their role in the global energy transition.

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