Green Hydrogen Global Trade Strategy Requires Social Safeguards Alongside Clean Tech Infrastructure, Study Shows

A comprehensive study conducted by researchers at the EHU-University of the Basque Country indicates that scaling the global trade of green hydrogen will require social and geopolitical protections alongside technological improvements and cost reductions. Published in the Chemical Engineering Journal and reported by TechXplore, the analysis assessed international supply chains utilizing Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) to store and transport low-emission fuel via maritime and overland networks.

Hydrogen is rapidly gaining traction as a primary alternative energy carrier for global decarbonization goals, with global annual demand reaching approximately 100 million metric tons (110 million short tons) in 2024. That figure marks a 30% expansion over the preceding decade, though green and low-emission hydrogen still accounts for less than 1% of total output today. Long-term energy projections indicate that hydrogen could meet up to 14% of global final energy consumption by 2050.

Transporting raw hydrogen gas remains a major logistical barrier because of its low physical density. EHU professor Ion Agirre pointed out that while hydrogen contains significant energy density by weight, its gaseous form demands immense volume, complicating both storage and transit. LOHC technology resolves this issue by chemically binding hydrogen into organic liquids that mimic standard oils, allowing the fuel to be safely stored and moved using existing petroleum infrastructure before being extracted at its destination.

The investigation formed part of the European UnLOHCked initiative, which focuses on evaluating the economic, social, and environmental viability of large-scale green hydrogen networks. Victoria Laura Barrio, a full professor at EHU and project lead, noted that binding hydrogen gas to liquid carriers offers distinct advantages in locations with highly competitive solar or wind power resources, including regions in southern Europe and Africa.

The study's authors conducted a comprehensive life cycle assessment encompassing green hydrogen generation, liquid hydrogenation, international transit, hydrogen extraction, and the return of the carrier fluid. The researchers evaluated trade routes connecting potential exporting nations rich in renewable resources—such as Spain, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Namibia—with major consuming markets including Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Led by researcher Irene Rey, the study represents a rare effort to embed social risk metrics into energy supply chain modeling. The findings revealed that no single logistics configuration optimizes environmental, financial, and social outcomes simultaneously. Rey emphasized that hydrogen production facilities established across diverse political and economic environments carry varying degrees of social risk that must be addressed alongside commercial priorities.

The researchers pinpointed hydrogen production and final extraction from the liquid carrier as the two most energy-intensive steps in the supply chain. Rey warned that project developers must design future energy corridors carefully to prevent repeating historical extraction dynamics, ensuring that resource development in the Global South does not serve solely to advance the economic and technological capabilities of the Global North.