A global boutique consultancy, we serve our clients in two ways: via client directed projects (TCG Consulting) and via various programs and studies (TCG Resources).

The Hydrogen Economy: An Assessment of the Technologies, Markets, and Investment Landscape for Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Transportation

UPDATED MULTI-CLIENT STUDY ANNOUNCEMENT!

Updated Multi-Client Study Proposal

TCGR to Provide a Better Understanding of Investment Options having the Best Short-term ROI, those which are More/Less Risky,
and what Technology Improvements are Needed to Bring Down Costs…

View Updated Proposal Here (PDF format)

The Hydrogen Economy: An Assessment of the Technologies, Markets,
and Investment Landscape for Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Transportation

Since very little hydrogen produced today avoids CO2 emissions, there is much investigation into technologies that improve upon existing production infrastructure and scale-up proposed low carbon concepts, as well as novel technologies that are still far from commercialization. In The Catalyst Group Resources’ (TCGR’s) proposed multi-client study, we will benchmark individual commercial offerings and uncover the approaches being developed in the pipeline to help companies throughout the hydrogen value chain chart a course forward for the next decade and beyond.

The study will compile a comprehensive review of commercial and R&D progress towards hydrogen production, storage, and transportation technologies, while addressing the most significant unanswered questions. Numerous roadmaps and strategy scenarios to build out the hydrogen economy exist, but they typically stop short of comparing technology offerings by licensor (whether it’s blue, green, grey, or other) and identifying strategic commercial opportunities. TCGR is especially capable at benchmarking these advancements by connecting catalytic and process technology to hydrogen economy scenarios, allowing subscribers to develop their present and future strategies. Subscribers will be able to understand the competitive offerings and reconcile these against the challenges that they will face as the global hydrogen market is projected to grow nearly tenfold over the next three decades.

Figure 1 – Projected Production Cost of Hydrogen by Technology Type, 2020-2050
(Hydrogen Council, 2021)

TCGR’s study will appeal to multiple stakeholders in the hydrogen economy, such as hydrogen producers, catalyst/materials manufacturers, and technology licensors, and those looking to have a better understanding of the investment landscape. Each stakeholder will have similar drivers in mind: decarbonizing and reducing CO2 emissions, placing their bets on the right R&D and investment pathways, and ensuring that they can uncover the industry’s most immediate and long-term opportunities. TCGR will assess and develop technoeconomic and life cycle assessments (LCAs), which will include the levers to reduce production costs (see Figure 1), energy and material requirements, and associated CO2 emissions for the leading hydrogen technologies. Subscribers will understand the relative technological strengths and weaknesses of the full spectrum of production technologies, but will also be able to assess storage and transportation options which include things like liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) and inorganic solutions, including ammonia, as a hydrogen carrier.

Unique to this study will be a market potential assessment, based on the various projected hydrogen demand scenarios, to uncover the needed capital investment for blue, green, and other hydrogen production technologies. Depending on the relative technology development curves, the study will evaluate how different scenarios impact the near vs. long term-need for blue vs. green technologies, answering the important question of how much of each technology type will be needed and when. TCGR will help subscribers identify the actions required to reduce these cost curves, the likelihood of doing so, and what further challenges exist.

TCGR will document how companies can/should address the following challenges:

  • The benchmarking of commercial/near-commercial fossil based blue hydrogen technologies. Who is best positioned to succeed? What separates these different technologies? Which is best for your plant or operation?
  • What other methods are available, besides reforming and electrolysis, for hydrogen production and how do these compare?
  • What is the pathway to scale-up for different electrolyzer technologies? What technological developments (catalysts, electrolyte, processes, engineering, etc.) are being investigated and what’s needed to bring costs down?
  • How do hydrogen separation and capture technologies fit into the growing hydrogen economy? What novel technologies are being developed and where do they make the most sense?  Based on the location of production assets, which transportation vector is the most cost-effective solution (e.g., pipeline, in LOHC/ammonia, other)?
  • What governmental and regulatory involvement and public/private investment are needed to support the hydrogen economy, or make given technologies both technologically and financially possible?

If you and your team are in need of answers in any of these areas, TCGR will help uncover solutions and clear the confusing landscape ahead in this new and innovative report. This study, “for the industry, by the industry,” is scheduled for completion within 3-4 months of study launch.

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As it does in each of its industrially-focused multi-client studies, TCGR will seek input from “charter” subscribers (i.e., those who sign up prior to study launch) to help shape the report’s final scope/TofC so that it covers and emphasizes the most pertinent content due to the large volume of research and the numerous hydrogen production routes and application areas that might be of interest, as depicted in Sections IV-VII in the preliminary TofC.

Notice to Subscribers

Due to the complementary nature of this study to TCGR’s multi-client report completed June 2021 in this area (“Power-to-X: Techno-economic, Commercial and Strategic Developments for Production of Energy Carrier Chemicals, Petrochemicals and Sustainable Fuels”), TCGR is offering a discount of $1,000 to subscribers of that study. Subscribers are requested to contact John Murphy at +1.215.628.4447 or jmurphy@catalystgrp.com if further details are required or to determine if your organization is entitled. When completing the order form, please make sure to indicate your company’s subscription to the earlier report.

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Additional information, including the updated study proposal, the preliminary Table of Contents and the Order Form, can be downloaded via the link below. For additional study details or to subscribe, please contact John Murphy at +1.215.628.4447 or  jmurphy@catalystgrp.com.

The Catalyst Group Resources (TCGR), a member of The Catalyst Group, is dedicated to monitoring and analyzing technical and commercial developments in catalysis as they apply to the global refining, petrochemical, fine/specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, polymer/elastomer and environmental industries.

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