Development Institutions for Hydrogen Energy in Northeast Asia Countries

Abstract

The Northeast Asia region (NEA) consists of states with a high degree of socio-economic development, for which the issues of achieving carbon neutrality are among the strategic priorities, and governments address them with the help of a wide range of measures. To achieve the overall goals of decarbonization, it is necessary to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in all sectors of the economy, including heavy industry and transport. Hydrogen is now considered one of the key options for reducing CO₂ emissions in these sectors. The gradual decrease in the cost of renewable energy sources (RES) and electrolyzers contributes to increasing the economic attractiveness of hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using renewable electricity – this method is a priority for NEA countries that do not have sufficient reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas. The fundamental difference between the hydrogen energy sector and traditional fossil fuels is that hydrogen is an energy conversion industry, not a raw material extraction one. It is also important that the growing share of intermittent renewable energy generation in the energy balance of NEA countries creates a demand for large-scale energy storage, which may also be provided by hydrogen. Sustainable and effective institutions play a crucial role in stimulating the process of partial transition to hydrogen energy, as they contribute both to the development of appropriate policies and to the consistent implementation of decisions across the economy. A review of the status and prospects for the implementation of such institutions in NEA countries allows for a substantive understanding of the basic institutional characteristics of the countries under consideration, as well as their distinctive features. NEA countries (China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, in the context of this article) are among the world leaders in the development of low-carbon hydrogen energy. Therefore, the study of the institutional framework related to this area is of justified scientific interest.