Green hydrogen economy in Sri Lanka: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

The transition to a green hydrogen economy has emerged as a key strategy in the global effort to tackle climate change, enhance energy security and achieve sustainable development. Countries around the world are now seeking ways to reduce their carbon emissions to address the risks posed by climate change while implementing national level strategies to meet Paris agreement goals [1]. The Paris agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted by 195 countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCC) in Paris in 2015 [2]. Hydrogen has gained a growing interest in these decarbonization strategies due to its potential use as an energy career, as a form of energy storage and as a feedstock for several key manufacturing sectors such as fertilizer and steel [3]. Even though the carbon emissions at the point of use of hydrogen are zero, the production stage can contribute to carbon emissions depending on the method used. Therefore, the progress towards decarbonization targets mainly depends on the hydrogen production method [4]. Hydrogen produced from renewable electricity or green hydrogen is expected to play an important role in achieving long-term decarbonization goals and improving energy security. Although less than 1% of global hydrogen production was from renewable sources by 2022, renewable hydrogen is receiving increasing policy attention in many countries [5]. More than 60 countries had announced or were developing hydrogen strategies by 2024 [3].