China Emerges as Leader in Green Hydrogen Innovation, Overtaking Japan
China is rapidly overtaking Japan in green hydrogen patents, significantly fueled by heavy investments. Research shows that Chinese firms have surpassed Japan in key patent categories as concerns grow over China’s potential control of the hydrogen vehicle supply chain. Japan is responding with subsidies and collaborations to protect its interests.
China has taken a significant lead in the realm of green hydrogen innovation, outpacing Japan in recent years, largely due to heavy investments from domestic companies. This shift has been highlighted by research from Astamuse, which indicates that Chinese firms now hold the highest number of low-carbon hydrogen-related patents globally, a category where they have surpassed their Japanese counterparts.
The focus on green hydrogen applications, particularly in the transportation sector, has prompted concerns from leaders at Toyota. Executives there have warned that unless other nations ramp up their investments, China risks monopolizing the global hydrogen vehicle supply chain, a situation that could mirror its current dominance in electric vehicles.
Astamuse’s study analyzed a total of 180,000 patents related to green hydrogen from 2013 to 2022, evaluating them based on five main categories: production, storage, transport, supply, and safety management. The findings revealed that Chinese companies excelled in competitiveness, achieving the top rank in the first four categories. This marks a significant shift from an earlier analysis conducted between 2011 and 2020, where Japan had taken the lead.
The surge in Chinese patent filings coincides with the country declaring its carbon peak targets in 2020. Since then, China has consistently filed twice as many patents related to green hydrogen each year compared to Japan. In 2022, China launched a comprehensive national hydrogen strategy, assigning equal priority to hydrogen as it does to renewable energies, with targets for annual production reaching 100,000 to 200,000 tons by 2025, which have already been exceeded.
Moreover, the large volume of patents has significantly reduced the cost of hydrogen production equipment in China, now just a quarter of what it costs in Europe. This cost efficiency has stimulated local demand, positioning China as the largest hydrogen market in the world, with the International Energy Agency pinpointing it as responsible for 30% of global hydrogen demand.
Furthermore, major Chinese solar companies like LONGi and Sungrow are making strategic moves into the hydrogen space, leveraging their existing strengths in solar and wind energy. According to Zhang Xiaoguang, a Chief Advisor at Daiwa Research Institute, these companies are primarily expanding capacity to gain market share rather than seeking profits in the immediate term.
The momentum in China’s hydrogen sector appears poised to extend to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Mitsumasa Yamagata, President of Toyota’s Hydrogen Business Unit, has noted that China leads in hydrogen truck infrastructure and that fuel costs for hydrogen there are significantly lower—about one-third of the prices in Japan. Without proactive investments from other nations, there is a real possibility that Chinese firms could dominate the hydrogen vehicle supply chain.
In response to these developments, the Japanese government is offering subsidies to bridge the cost differential between hydrogen and fossil fuels. Additionally, Japan is collaborating with the United States and South Korea to accelerate advancements in hydrogen technologies. Meanwhile, the European Union is contemplating restrictions on the use of Chinese components in hydrogen projects to protect Europe’s domestic industries.
In summary, China’s dominance in green hydrogen innovation has risen sharply, significantly overtaking Japan in the number of patents and technological developments. This trend is fueled by substantial investments and strategic expansions by Chinese companies, raising concerns about potential monopolization of the hydrogen vehicle market. In response, Japan is implementing subsidies and international collaborations to try to maintain its position in the competitive landscape of hydrogen technologies.
Original Source: reccessary.com
