Policy & Socio-Economics

The energy transition towards low-carbon hydrogen (H2) in France is expected to require deep industrial planning to develop electrolysis and H2 production infrastructure. This study employs an input–output method to simulate a new sector of electrolysis-produced hydrogen (e-H2) that supplies two-hydrogen intensive sectors petroleum refining and ammonia. We construct two input–output models a demand-driven model for e-H2 sector development (the investment phase) and a mixed model for e-H2 production (the operation phase). The results demonstrate that the e-H2 sector depends on industries such as machinery electrical equipment construction and metal products manufacturing in the investment phase with strong backward linkages to the power sector in the exploitation phase. The results reveal that the energy shock (350 kt of e-H2 per year) generates significant growth (€1.3 Bn of gross domestic product) and jobs (3600) but strongly depends on industries’ capability to expand and recruit. Recommendations advise public policy development to address the need to reinforce key industries to support e-H2 production due to inter-industry dependence and the need for more attractive skilled and technician jobs in sectors that are already experiencing recruitment tensions. At much higher e-H2 shocks in the steel sector (700 kt e-H2) and other industries (415 kt e-H2) even greater amounts of domestic resources would be required. Therefore de-carbonising the entire H2 sector require ambitious policy planning to support industrial empowerment research programmes and labour training so that H2 becomes an enabling technology of the energy transition.

The urgent need to mitigate climate change has elevated green hydrogen as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels while green cryptocurrencies have emerged to address the environmental concerns of traditional cryptocurrency mining. This study investigates the dynamic correlation between the green hydrogen market and selected green cryptocurrencies (Cardano Stellar Hedera Algorand and Chia) from July 2021 to April 2024 utilizing the Dynamic Conditional Correlation GARCH (DCC-GARCH) model with robustness checks using EGARCH and GJR-GARCH specifications. Our findings reveal significant correlations with peaks reaching up to 50% in 2022 a period likely influenced by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Subsequently a decline in these correlations was observed in 2023. These results underscore the interconnectedness of sustainability-driven markets suggesting potential contagion effects during periods of global instability. The high persistence of correlation shocks (α + β values approaching unity) indicates that correlation regimes tend to be long- lasting with important implications for portfolio diversification and risk management strategies. Robustness checks using EGARCH and GJR-GARCH specifications confirmed qualitatively similar patterns reinforcing the validity of our findings into the evolving landscape of green finance and energy

Given the Kenyan challenges in energy availability accessibility and affordability exploring green hydrogen as a sustainable energy solution is supreme. This study aimed to assess the potential of green hydrogen production a transformative clean energy technology and its implications for Kenya's future energy. The specific objectives were to identify the drivers of change that could accelerate green hydrogen adoption and policy recommendations. The study employed a scenario planning approach focusing on four key steps: defining the scenario and time horizon identifying drivers of change and developing and applying scenarios. The diffusion of innovation theory guided the study. Twelve key critical drivers of change were identified with societal and industry acceptance of green hydrogen and compatibility with existing energy infrastructure being the strongest drivers of change from cross-impact analysis results. The study outlined four plausible future scenarios for adoption: Successful Production (best scenario) Low Production Chaotic Transition and Rejection of Green Hydrogen Production (worst scenario). Major opportunities include advancements in hydrogen production export potential and job creation. Cost competitiveness analysis is essential comparing Kenya's hydrogen with traditional fuels and African peers. Economic models suggest that Kenya's renewable energy can lower costs enhancing its position in clean energy innovation. However critical challenges involve regulatory uncertainty ethical concerns public misconceptions about green hydrogen safety and financial barriers due to high initial investment costs. The study recommended that the Kenyan government invest in renewable energy infrastructure formulate a comprehensive national hydrogen policy and establish an enabling environment to attract private investment. In conclusion green hydrogen production stands as a strategic pillar for Kenya’s sustainable energy transition and further research should focus on strengthening regulatory frameworks and enhancing public engagement to unlock its full potential.

Transformation of the energy sector is necessary to meet climate targets and ensure universal access to reliable and affordable energy. Despite progress more than 675 million people still lack electricity and 770 million face an unreliable power supply. Renewable energy now provides nearly 30 % of global electricity generation and represents approximately 17.9 % of total final energy consumption. This amount is insufficient for the 1.5 ◦C pathway and requires a tripling of renewable capacity by 2030. Energy efficiency also lags with average annual gains of 1.6 % compared with the 4 % required for climate-aligned energy scenarios. Therefore this paper reviews pathways toward decentralized low-carbon solutions that can accelerate global energy transformation. The review paper examines how technologies such as microgrids virtual power plants energy storage systems and vehicleto-grid (V2G) solutions are reshaping modern energy systems. It highlights that digitalization smart grids and sector integration are key to building flexible and consumer-focused networks. However achieving sustainable energy access requires more than new technologies. Strong governance fair financing and social inclusion are equally important to ensure a just and balanced energy transition. Case studies from Asia Africa and Latin America show how policy innovative financing and regional cooperation can drive progress despite challenges such as underinvestment fossil fuel dependency and energy poverty. The review demonstrates that an integrated approach combining technological innovation financial mechanisms and inclusive policies can collectively build low-carbon resilient and equitable energy systems.

Concerns about the competitiveness of European industry led to the publication of the Draghi report. One of his recommendations is to install regional green industrial clusters around energy-intensive companies. The report identifies three benefit categories each corresponding to typical industrial symbiosis cases: improved investment cases by shared local low-carbon energy generation improved investment cases by shared infrastructure and improved energy flows for increased resource efficiency. Industrial clusters hold untapped potential to advance the energy transition and climate neutrality. However it is still unknown how and if this potential will ever be reached nor how scalable and replicable the benefits will be. This review paper aims to take a first step in exploring the potential role of industrial clusters in the energy system by exposing the research state of the art in academic literature. A literature review is performed in line with the three benefit categories according to Draghi to understand the enablers and barriers of potential synergies and their impact on the energy system. Afterwards the scalability is assessed by positioning the European industrial clusters in the larger renewable energy landscape. To illustrate the global interest a brief reflection is made on references to industrial clusters in the policy of non-European regions. The work concludes with interesting leads for future research to further advance knowledge on the importance of industrial clusters in the energy system and to stimulate the implementation of energy synergies.

This study presents a cross-national investigation into the drivers and psychological mechanisms shaping public perceptions and acceptance of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure located in residential proximity. Parallel survey data from Japan Spain and Norway were analysed using a multigroup comparative framework. Measurement invariance was established across the three datasets subject to minor modifications within the constructs of trust in hydrogen innovation safe housing concern and perceived usefulness. The conceptual models yielded generalisable findings across countries: negative emotions exerted a stronger influence on individuals' risk perceptions than positive emotions whereas perceived usefulness had a greater impact on acceptance than perceived risk. Safe housing and environmental concerns exhibited moderating effects that amplified the influence of affective responses towards hydrogen refuelling facilities with varying magnitudes across datasets. Furthermore the incorporation of Hofstede's cultural dimensions provided insights into cross-country differences revealing that individualism uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation explain the psychological pathways through which affective states are translated into subjective evaluations of hydrogen facilities ultimately shaping community acceptance.

This bibliometric analysis aims to map the evolution disciplinary structure and collaboration dynamics of green hydrogen (GH) research in North Africa from 2019 to 2025. Drawing on a corpus of ~39000 global publications indexed in Scopus and analysed through SciVal we isolate and examine the contributions of Egypt Morocco Algeria Tunisia and Libya. Egypt leads the region with 842 publications and a field-weighted citation impact of 2.42 followed by Morocco (232 Pubs. FWCI 2.30) and Algeria (184 Pubs. FWCI 1.65). Notably Tunisia exhibits the highest growth factor (41 times since 2019) while Libya remains marginal with only 18 publications in the GH field. The region is well represented in Energy and Environmental fields but is underrepresented in trendy areas such as Materials and Chemical Engineering highlighting critical gaps in consistency sophistication and technical infrastructure. While international collaboration exceeds 69% for most countries it rarely translates into a high impact compared to the global average. Conversely the limited industrial collaboration shows the highest citation impact (e.g. Tunisia: 68 citations/publications). A thematic analysis reveals shared strengths in electrolytic hydrogen production and renewable energy integration with Egypt showing diversification into microalgae and nanocomposites and Morocco excelling in techno-economic assessments and ammonia-based systems. By revealing patterns in research quality collaboration and thematic positioning this study offers evidence-based insights to inform national science strategies enhance regional cooperation and position North Africa more strategically in the emerging global green hydrogen economy.

This study presents the development of the long-term Household Hydrogen Supply Chain (HHSC) model aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of household energy consumption. Structured across three strategic phases: foundation expansion and maturation the model facilitates the systematic phase-out of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 2045 and natural gas (NG) by 2080. Employing demand estimation methodologies grounded in historical data and exponential decay functions the study forecasts long-term hydrogen adoption trajectories and allocates regional demand to optimise infrastructure placement. A network optimisation model identifies the optimal locations and capacities of national regional and local distribution centres (NDCs RDCs and LDCs). This staged development ensures operational scalability geographic equity and financial viability. A key finding is the substantial increase in profitability from $479 million in 2026 to $88.26 billion by 2090 driven by infrastructure growth and increasing hydrogen demand. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the adoption during the mid years (2040–2060) is particularly vulnerable to cost fluctuations. The model supports net-zero 2050 goals and aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDGs 7 9 and 13. While the HHSC provides a structured pathway for long-term hydrogen transition future research should focus on enhancing the resilience of the HHSC by incorporating real-time data integration assessing vulnerability to supply chain disruptions and developing risk mitigation strategies to ensure continuity and scalability in hydrogen delivery under uncertain operating conditions.