China seen as biggest hydrogen importer in 2030

Import needs overtake Europe as its domestic production buildout lags rising demand, Deloitte modelling shows

China is set to become the largest importer of clean hydrogen in 2030, despite its efforts to expand domestic production, as competition for supplies intensifies during the global market’s ramp-up phase, according to scenarios modelled by consultancy Deloitte. China’s imports rise to 13mn t of hydrogen equivalent in 2030, putting it ahead of Europe on 10mn t, Deloitte says in its 2023 green hydrogen outlook. “While China does not face the same land availability limitations as Japan and Korea or even Europe, its strong ramp-up of clean hydrogen demand by 2030 outstrips its domestic production capacity, making China the biggest importer in 2030,” it says. $9.4tn – Required global investm