Furthermore, it was shown that, contrary to the standard perception of hydrogen applications, it will be developed primarily for stationary and automotive applications, but will not focus particularly on fuel cell cars, which are currently outnumbered by battery-powered cars.

Analysis of hydrogen projects in recent months shows that a greater number of hydrogen projects are related to stationary applications and, more generally, to so-called hydrogen economies.

As highlighted in the report, the development of hydrogen economies will require a robust infrastructure system encompassing production, distribution, and consumption. Recent news shows how hydrogen is already being adopted for the decarbonization of major industries and polluting technologies, such as ferries, trucks, and buses, as well as in the cement and steel industries, and for storing energy from renewable sources.

The last few months have shown a strong push to adopt hydrogen as an energy carrier in various industries. It is estimated that 30% of the announced projects are related to the automotive sector, focusing on trucks, buses, and ferry applications.

The main development in the ferry sector is that the Danish shipping and logistics company DFDS is partnering with a group of companies to develop a 100% hydrogen-powered ferry for the Frederikshavn-Copenhagen route. The partners include ABB, Ballard Power Systems Europe, Hexagon Purus, Lloyd's Register, KNUD E. HANSEN, Ørsted, and Danish Ship Finance.

The project will develop the world's largest hydrogen ferry, with 23 MW of fuel cells, capable of carrying 1,800 passengers, 120 trucks, and 380 cars. The ferry is expected to be fully operational by 2027.

Along with the projects related to ferries, the second major development is the adoption of fuel cells in trucks and buses, another sector affected by large polluting emissions.

Besides the automotive sector, the largest projects in terms of investment and installation of technology are related to stationary applications.

In September and October, France and Spain, respectively, announced their hydrogen development plans. France aims to install 6.5 GW of electrolyzers by 2030, with an estimated investment of €7.2 billion, while Spain aims to install 4 GW of electrolyzers by 2030, with an estimated investment of €8.9 billion.

In Spain, the energy company Iberdrola and the Spanish fertilizer company Fertiberia announced a 7-year plan to develop 800MW of green hydrogen, with an estimated investment of more than 1.8 billion euros.

The first of the 800MW green hydrogen project will be a 20MW electrolyzer produced by Nel ASA. The project also includes a 100MW solar-PV plant and a 20MWh Li-ion battery storage system in Puertollano, representing an investment of €150 million.

While the Spanish project involving Iberdrola and Fertiberia is just one example, its size and development timeline are representative of other stationary hydrogen-related projects. The oil company Repsol has announced its intention to focus on hydrogen production, reducing investment in oil production, over the next ten years with a 1.2 GW electrolyzer facility. Additionally, Morocco is developing hydrogen production using various ammonia-based technologies. As explained in the IDTechEx report, "The Hydrogen Economy, Fuel Cells, and Hydrogen Production Methods," Morocco plays a crucial role in supplying hydrogen to Europe due to its strategic location and existing infrastructure.

Western Australian utility Horizon Power will adopt green hydrogen for microgrid applications to explore the technical capabilities of renewable hydrogen as a dispatchable energy source in remote electrical systems, as well as to test and improve the competitiveness of the technology.

The plant, funded with 2.6 million Australian dollars from ARENA, will comprise 704 kW of solar power that will feed a 348 kW electrolyzer and a 100 kW fuel cell and storage tank to provide 526 MWh of renewable electricity to power the equivalent of 100 homes.

The development of hydrogen infrastructure is being seriously addressed, particularly in the EU, with significant investment. However, considering the time required to develop the necessary infrastructure and the real need for hydrogen technologies to decarbonize polluting sectors, hydrogen economies will not begin to play a significant role before 2030.