Hydrogen economy hints at new global power dynamics: IRENA analysis

Rapid growth of the global hydrogen economy can bring significant geoeconomic and geopolitical shifts giving rise to a wave of new interdependencies, a new analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said on Saturday.

“Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor” sees hydrogen changing the geography of energy trade and regionalising energy relations, hinting at the emergence of new centres of geopolitical influence built on the production and use of hydrogen, as traditional oil and gas trade declines.

Driven by the climate urgency and countries’ commitments to net zero, IRENA estimates hydrogen to cover up to 12 per cent of global energy use by 2050.