Prospects for Electro-Hydrogen Infrastructure Creation in Northeast Asia

The paper considers Russia’s goal and approach to participating in the creation of electro-hydrogen infrastructure of a new energy market in the Northeast Asian region – the hydrogen carriers market. Technologically advanced East Asian economies have set the course towards accelerated development of hydrogen technologies, which are expected to be one of the key factors of low-carbon energy development. However, due to the geographical constraints and scale of energy consumption, the attempt to lower the dependence on exporters of hydrocarbons, coal, and nuclear fuels, may lead to the dependence on green energy exporters.

To estimate the scope and preconditions to create new energy markets in North-east Asia, emerging with hydrogen technologies commercialization, the authors have developed a methodological approach based on a combination of modelling tools with international energy cooperation institutions analysis. Green liquefied hydrogen production costs were estimated for locations in Mongolia and Japan; a scenario of international power infrastructure availability in Northeast Asia was considered.

The recommendations for Russia on promising options of participating in the creation of electric-hydrogen infrastructure of new regional hydrogen carrier and technologies markets were proposed. The technical, economic, institutional, and political conditions for electro-hydrogen infrastructure creation in Northeast Asia under the global paradigm of transition to low-carbon energy, increasing share of renewable energy sources in the primary energy consumption, and, finally, restructuring Northeast Asia economies on a new technological basis are listed. The conclusions are in line with the Concept for the Development of Hydrogen Energy in Russia and complement it with the directions for creating new international energy markets.

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