The Geopolitics of Hydrogen

This open access book offers a comprehensive analysis of hydrogen strategies in major economies, exploring their domestic and international dimensions while highlighting the significance of bilateral and multilateral engagements. The authors contextualize these strategies within the geopolitical landscape, examining how governments shape the emerging hydrogen economy and the underlying interests that drive these policies.

Each country chapter provides an in-depth review of hydrogen policy, encompassing both domestic and international aspects. The book delves into important stakeholder interests at the national level and considers the broader energy and foreign policy legacies that influence the evolving policy landscape. By examining these factors, readers gain a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted dynamics surrounding hydrogen initiatives.

The framing chapter establishes the pivotal role of government policy in shaping the emerging hydrogen economy, providing a framework for analysis that guides the subsequent chapters. It sets the stage for comprehending the complexities and interdependencies inherent in hydrogen strategies.

The final chapter serves as a synthesis, bringing together the key findings and connecting them with the broader geopolitical context of the hydrogen sector. This chapter provides valuable insights that deepen our understanding of how these strategies fit into the global landscape and their implications on international relations.

This book is a vital resource for policymakers, researchers, and industry professionals seeking an in-depth exploration of hydrogen strategies. By shedding light on both domestic and international dimensions, and by examining the geopolitical factors at play, it offers a comprehensive perspective on the current and future state of the hydrogen economy.

Rainer Quitzow leads the research group “Geopolitics of Transitions in Energy and Industry” and coordinates the research area “Energy Transitions and Societal Change” at Research Institute for Sustainability, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam. He has published widely on the policy and politics of energy transitions with a global perspective. He was recently appointed Professor of Innovation and Sustainability at Technische Universität Berlin. Before his research career, he worked at the World Bank in Washington DC. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin.

Yana Zabanova is a Research Associate at the Research Institute for Sustainability – GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany. Her areas of expertise include the geopolitics and geoeconomics of the energy transition in the European Union and globally, with a special focus on hydrogen policies in the EU and its Member States. She is also a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen focusing on renewable energy and hydrogen development in Eurasian oil and gas producing countries.