Hydrogen will create new global trade flows
Hydrogen economy will reshape geopolitics – Irena
Setting standards and establishing cooperative bodies is vital to ensuring market grows as fast as possible, says agency
The growth of the hydrogen economy will reshape geopolitical relationships that have been based around the extraction of fossil fuels, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). The recent volatility of oil and gas prices is a stark reminder of the centrality of fossil fuels to geopolitics, and vice versa. The report outlines ways in which the hydrogen market can reduce dependence on countries that provide fossil fuels, and therefore their geopolitical influence. “Governments have a unique opportunity to shape the advent of hydrogen, by contributing to the design of markets supportive of the energy transformation while avoiding existing limitations and inef
Also in this section
18 March 2026
The second fossil-fuel price shock in four years can be a much-needed catalyst for investment in the sector
9 March 2026
Hydrogen has not stalled in the UK because the technology does not work. The problem is that the system around it does not yet move at the speed required
4 March 2026
Turmoil in Middle East reminds nascent clean hydrogen sector that its future prospects are dependent on global energy markets and geopolitics
25 February 2026
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said
