Progress in practical hydrogen production and utilisation in East Asia

Development of hydrogen utilisation for energy applications has seen promising innovation towards the future prospect of clean and sustainable energy, benefitting various aspects of environmental, social, industrial and energy security. In the APEC region, several economies, such as the USA, China, Australia, Japan and South Korea, have shown interest in the development of hydrogen technology for energy applications. These economies have been devoting effort towards research and development programmes, pilot projects and, up to a certain point, implementing it in their communities. In addition, these economies each have their own tailored hydrogen roadmap or strategy, ensuring a smoother path towards hydrogen development. In this mini-review, we analysed the approaches of three selected economies in the East Asia region towards hydrogen technology, namely China, Japan and South Korea. Each of these economies have their own strategies and priorities towards the application, production and future development of hydrogen technology. This review also analyses the future possibilities for the integration of hydrogen technology into various sectors, as well as various constraints faced by each economy. Therefore, the review might serve as a valuable reference towards the feasibility of future hydrogen technology development in the East Asia and APEC region.