Status of Hydrogen and Potential for Cooperation

While Germany, Japan, and Korea are among the prospective biggest importers of hydrogen, Australia is well placed to become one of the world’s largest hydrogen exporter. At the same time, all four countries are highly active and successful at various, often complementary points, of the hydrogen value chain. This confluence of interests and capabilities offers the opportunity to move from existing bilateral cooperation between each of these countries towards quadrilateral cooperation, contributing to the emergence of a global hydrogen market.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the state of hydrogen in Australia, Germany, Japan, and Korea by investigating each country’s area of expertise,the key hydrogen stakeholders, and the political framework conditions in each country. Based on this, and in conjunction with an examination of global developments, the study develops suggestions for quadrilateral cooperation activities to accelerate the hydrogen market ramp-up. The aim is to further international discussions on how hydrogen can play an effective role in decarbonising our economies and to strengthen emerging thoughts on the importance of increasingly multilateral approaches as an addition to existing bilateral cooperation.