The Long Road Ahead for Hydrogen as a Green Fuel

Hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in greening Hong Kong's public road transport, but challenges such as safety, reliability, and cost need to be addressed for its commercialization. While hydrogen derived from fossil fuels has zero roadside emissions, its production carbon footprint remains substantial. The production of "green" hydrogen using renewable energy is expensive and requires the development of a supply chain. The mass commercialization of hydrogen vehicles in Hong Kong and other markets faces uncertainties in resolving technological and cost barriers. Supply chain challenges, including storage and transport, need to be tackled. Hong Kong is considering options such as bringing supplies from Guangdong province initially and exploring long-term solutions like long-distance piping or importing green hydrogen by tankers.