Hydrogen Council today releases its latest report Hydrogen Insights 2024 which highlights the global clean hydrogen project pipeline is growing and maturing, with a seven-fold increase in committed capital for projects reaching final investment decision (FID) in the past four years.
BRUSSELS, September 17, 2024 – The global clean hydrogen project pipeline is growing and maturing, with a sharp increase in projects reaching final investment decision (FID), according to the Hydrogen Council‘s latest analysis of more than 1,500 projects worldwide. At the same time, the pace and scale of deployment need to accelerate dramatically to meet global climate goals.

The Hydrogen Insights 2024 report, released today and co-authored by McKinsey & Company, reveals that while the global project pipeline has grown by a factor of seven since 2020 from 228 projects to 1,572 projects, as of May 2024, it has also matured, with a strong focus on advancing projects towards execution. Most notably, clean hydrogen projects that reached FID have also seen a seven-fold increase in committed investment, growing from approximately USD 10 billion across 102 projects in 2020 to some USD 75 billion across 434 projects in 2024.

The most recent data from October 2023 to May 2024 further underscores a clear shift from project planning to implementation. Total announced investments through 2030 have increased by approximately 20% – from USD 570 billion to USD 680 billion. The most notable growth has occurred in the more advanced stages of project development, with investments past FID growing by a remarkable 90%, followed by a 30% increase in front-end engineering design (FEED) stage projects.

This clear shift across the global project pipeline from announcements to implementation is coupled with natural attrition that fosters industry maturation by eliminating less viable projects and prioritising those with the highest potential, a pattern also seen in the early stages of other clean energy industries such as wind and solar.