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Energies
Volume 19
Issue 2
10.3390/en19020524
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Review

A Global Perspective on Decarbonising Economies Through Clean Hydrogen: Adaptation, Supply Chain, Utilisation, National Hydrogen Initiatives, and Challenges

by
Amila Premakumara
1,*,
Shanaka Kristombu Baduge
1,*,
Upeka Gunarathne
1,
Susiri Costa
1,
Sadeep Thilakarathna
1,
Priyan Mendis
1,
Adam Swanger
2,
Saif Al Ghafri
3,
William Notardonato
4 and
Gang Li
5
1
Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
2
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cryogenics Test Laboratory, UB-G, KSC, Merritt Island, FL 32899, USA
3
School of Engineering, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Australia
4
ETA SPACE, Rockledge, FL 32955, USA
5
Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Energies 2026, 19(2), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19020524
Submission received: 10 November 2025 / Revised: 26 December 2025 / Accepted: 8 January 2026 / Published: 20 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Section A5: Hydrogen Energy)
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Abstract

Hydrogen has emerged as a cornerstone of global decarbonisation strategies, offering a flexible pathway to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate progress towards net-zero targets. However, the development of a globally integrated hydrogen economy remains uneven, reflecting disparities in renewable energy potential, infrastructure readiness, investment capacity, and policy commitment. To better understand these differences and the barriers they create, this study undertakes a comprehensive comparative assessment of the global hydrogen supply chain encompassing resources, production, storage, transport, and end-use applications. Further, a structured analytical framework comprising ten principles and twenty-nine sub-factors was developed to evaluate national hydrogen policies, technological readiness, and enabling conditions across twenty-six countries. The results show that the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany lead global progress, while many countries remain at an early stage of engagement. These findings further inform persistent regional asymmetries and emphasise the need for stronger international coordination. Drawing on these findings, the paper advances targeted policy and research recommendations to lower production costs, expand storage and transport capacity, and harmonise regulatory frameworks, thereby defining a coherent pathway towards a secure, cost-competitive, and equitable global hydrogen economy by 2050.
Keywords: national hydrogen policy; climate change; clean hydrogen; decarbonisation; hydrogen supply chain; hydrogen export national hydrogen policy; climate change; clean hydrogen; decarbonisation; hydrogen supply chain; hydrogen export
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MDPI and ACS Style

Premakumara, A.; Kristombu Baduge, S.; Gunarathne, U.; Costa, S.; Thilakarathna, S.; Mendis, P.; Swanger, A.; Al Ghafri, S.; Notardonato, W.; Li, G. A Global Perspective on Decarbonising Economies Through Clean Hydrogen: Adaptation, Supply Chain, Utilisation, National Hydrogen Initiatives, and Challenges. Energies 2026, 19, 524. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19020524

AMA Style

Premakumara A, Kristombu Baduge S, Gunarathne U, Costa S, Thilakarathna S, Mendis P, Swanger A, Al Ghafri S, Notardonato W, Li G. A Global Perspective on Decarbonising Economies Through Clean Hydrogen: Adaptation, Supply Chain, Utilisation, National Hydrogen Initiatives, and Challenges. Energies. 2026; 19(2):524. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19020524

Chicago/Turabian Style

Premakumara, Amila, Shanaka Kristombu Baduge, Upeka Gunarathne, Susiri Costa, Sadeep Thilakarathna, Priyan Mendis, Adam Swanger, Saif Al Ghafri, William Notardonato, and Gang Li. 2026. "A Global Perspective on Decarbonising Economies Through Clean Hydrogen: Adaptation, Supply Chain, Utilisation, National Hydrogen Initiatives, and Challenges" Energies 19, no. 2: 524. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19020524

APA Style

Premakumara, A., Kristombu Baduge, S., Gunarathne, U., Costa, S., Thilakarathna, S., Mendis, P., Swanger, A., Al Ghafri, S., Notardonato, W., & Li, G. (2026). A Global Perspective on Decarbonising Economies Through Clean Hydrogen: Adaptation, Supply Chain, Utilisation, National Hydrogen Initiatives, and Challenges. Energies, 19(2), 524. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19020524

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