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Our Mission in this field

We are dedicated to delivering a just hydrogen transition through the creation of an enabling framework environment for the acceleration of green and low carbon hydrogen projects

UNIDO recognizes the net-zero industrial development potential which hydrogen and more specifically green hydrogen (GH2) offers to developing countries with abundant renewable power potential. It can pave the way for job creation, skills upgrading, investment mobilization, energy security, and participation in global hydrogen trade. Green hydrogen can reinforce overall resilience of countries and drive a diversified and knowledge-based economy.

In order to reap the maximum benefit from this new opportunity being presented by hydrogen a significant alignment of strategies is needed (e.g. energy, industrial, education, investment, national development). Building a hydrogen ecosystem is replete with challenges with respect to the absence of a domestic green hydrogen market, standards, costs, technology, and the necessary infrastructure for trade. Policy measures can be used to influence these to deliver on the objectives set out in the hydrogen strategy. In addition, with the large number of stakeholders involved, policy coordination among the stakeholders is key, but unfortunately often neglected.

UNIDO’s Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry aims to support hydrogen strategy and policy designs so as to provide an integrated approach to the development of a hydrogen industry. Through the development of a hydrogen strategy, UNIDO supports countries to articulate its priorities for hydrogen development, identifying key development objectives and the strategic direction it will take to achieve these. The strategy should help to make strategic decisions on how to allocate resources, prioritize actions and guide activities towards achieving specific outcomes.

Once the strategy is set, UNIDO also supports the policy design to identify a set of measures and means which will be used to achieve the key development objectives defined in the strategy. It focuses on the “how and what” questions related to investment/skills/regulations etc will are needed to achieve the objectives specified in the hydrogen strategy. UNIDO can come in as an advisor to the strategy/policy design, or as the main responsible for the design of the strategy/policy design. The main focus of UNIDO will be to ensure that the Member State is benefitting from the opportunities offered by hydrogen for its netzero industrial development and to ensure a just transition by also considering the social and environmental aspects.

In this focus area, UNIDO provides support on the global as well as regional & national levels:

Our policy work at global level seeks to keep our members states abreast of global developments and discussions. We therefore:

  • Monitor trends in national hydrogen strategies
  • Advocate for just GH2 transition in global forums
  • Develop knowledge products to gather evidence for hydrogen strategy designs
  • Develop a policy toolkit with policy instruments to address the challenges and bottlenecks
    hindering the creation of a hydrogen ecosystem

Upon receiving requests for regional or national level interventions, UNIDO tailors and adapts its global tools to the specific circumstances and realities of the country or region to deliver, either as an advisor or as the main responsible:

  • Sensitization seminars
  • Facilitation workshops towards defining a GH2 vision
  • GH2 strategy and policy design
  • Stakeholder coordination

Highlights

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Demonstration project on production of green hydrogen and ammonia underway in Baotou, China
3 May 2023 News
Demonstration project on production of green hydrogen and ammonia underway in Baotou, China
BAOTOU - The global transition towards cleaner energy sources has been gaining momentum, and the focus has shifted towards green hydrogen as a clean energy alternative. In this context, the construction of the International Hydrogen Energy Metallurgy and Chemical Demonstration Zone in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable and zero-carbon technologies.The project is led by the International Hydrogen Energy Centre (IHEC), supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and hosted by the Beijing Tsinghua Industrial Research and Development Institute (TIDRI) and the Chinese metal manufacturer, the Mintal Group.Ammonia is produced in vast quantities worldwide for agricultural fertilizers. However the traditional production method uses natural gas or other fossil fuels to provide both the hydrogen feedstock and the energy to power the synthesis process. As a result, ammonia production releases almost 1.5% of global CO₂ emissions. Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide produced during the ammonia manufacturing process is therefore critical to achieve net-zero targets by 2050.The best way to reduce carbon emissions when making ammonia is to use green hydrogen, which is hydrogen produced via water electrolysis using renewable electricity.In its first phase, the IHEC project will build a 1.5GW wind power farm to produce green hydrogen for green ammonia synthesis. The first batch of 390,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year is set to be supplied in early 2025.On 15 April, the day before the ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of construction of the industrial zone, nearly 200 representatives of stakeholders from different regions, countries and industries attended the China-Europe Hydrogen Energy Industry Forum in Baotou. At the event, organized by the IHEC, participants discussed the role of hydrogen in the clean energy transition and the potential for cooperation between China and Europe.
Tunisia, Austria and UNIDO advance long-term collaboration on green hydrogen
14 March 2023 News
Tunisia, Austria and UNIDO advance long-term collaboration on green hydrogen
TUNIS - More than 80 Tunisian and Austrian stakeholders, with 30 percent of women representation, gathered in a technical workshop on green hydrogen and water-related impacts. The event was co-organized by UNIDO in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Climate Action (BMK) to discuss future collaboration and projects in hydrogen between Tunisia and Austria. As with other European countries with a strong industrial sector, Austria is prepared to invest in cutting-edge and climate-neutral technologies for green steel and chemicals, and to minimize their carbon footprint. Achieving decarbonization objectives require vast quantities of green hydrogen and green electricity, which requires large investments, along with the development of transport infrastructure/trade corridors and collaborative partnerships. Specifics of the Austrian hydrogen strategy and climate commitments were presented by a representative of the BMK. Whereas, the Tunisian strategy, currently under development was introduced by a representative of the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy who stressed challenges, such as water scarcity in Tunisia.Tunisia's strategic geographic location, vast renewable energy potential, and stable political situation are excellent conditions for the country to become a producer of green hydrogen, both for internal and external markets. Green hydrogen production can help decarbonize Tunisian metallurgical, ceramic and glass sectors; and create new sustainable industries such as fertilizers based on green ammonia. It also has the potential to become a catalyst to meet Central Europe's, including Austria's hydrogen needs across industries, transportation, and energy. Participants discussed that the current gas corridor between North Africa and Southern Europe can be repurposed to transport large quantities of cost-competitive green hydrogen from Tunisia through Italy to central Europe, including Austria leveraging existing gas infrastructure.The discussions pointed out that:It is fundamental to take into consideration and understand how green hydrogen can be integrated into the country’s renewable energy portfolio and be deployed in industries. Green hydrogen production should not absorb renewable electricity capacities, thereby, decelerating domestic energy transition.Green hydrogen market development opens new opportunities for developed and developing countries. To succeed, the existing market barriers must be addressed. These include the lack of coordination, skills and competencies, financing and investment mechanisms, policies, and regulations.