The Hydrogen Council’s Hydrogen Insights 2024 report says 1,572 clean-hydrogen projects have been announced across more than 70 countries, up from just 228 in 2020.
These projects represent over half a terawatt of planned electrolyser capacity valued at around US$680 billion, though only US$75 billion has reached final investment decision (FID).
However, the number of projects that have reached FID or entered operation remains limited.
Flagship plants in Saudi Arabia, China, the United States, and Europe are leading construction, while emerging projects in Namibia and Chile signal geographic diversification.
Cancellations in Australia and delays across Europe illustrate that cost, infrastructure, and offtake remain key hurdles.
The confirmed projects now advancing mark the world’s first wave of industrial-scale green-hydrogen production — setting the foundation for what could become a global clean-energy commodity trade in the next decade.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that total installed electrolyser capacity for dedicated hydrogen production reached about 1.4 GW by 2023 and could rise to 5 GW by 2024.
The announced capacity to 2030 is approaching 520 GW, though less than 4% of this has been entered into construction.
The flagship projects
Among the most advanced developments is the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk region. Backed by Air Products, ACWA Power, and the Saudi state-owned NEOM company, the facility will use about 4 GW of wind and solar power to run 2.2 GW of electrolysers, producing roughly 600 tonnes of hydrogen daily. It reached financial close in May 2023 and is now under construction, with first output expected in 2026 or 2027.
In China, the world’s largest electrolyser market, state-owned Sinopec commissioned the Kuqa Green Hydrogen Plant in Xinjiang in 2023.
The project uses 260 MW of electrolysers powered by renewable electricity, producing industrial hydrogen for refinery use.
Despite early technical challenges, it remains the largest operational green-hydrogen facility worldwide and anchors China’s broader plan to exceed 100 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030.
In the United States, ACES Delta in Delta, Utah, represents one of the most ambitious hydrogen-storage projects globally. The complex, developed by Mitsubishi Power, Chevron, and Magnum Development, combines 220 MW of electrolysers with underground salt-cavern storage exceeding 300 GWh. It reached FID in 2022 and is now under construction, with partial operations due mid-decade.
Europe’s most visible project is Holland Hydrogen I in Rotterdam. Owned by Shell, it will operate 200 MW of electrolysers to produce around 60 tonnes of hydrogen per day.
Construction began after FID in 2022, and the facility is designed to supply the company’s Pernis refinery and heavy-transport customers via a new pipeline network.
Another major European scheme is Normand’Hy in Port-Jérôme, Normandy, led by Air Liquide with support from TotalEnergies.
The first phase includes at least 200 MW of electrolysers feeding the local industry. The project has advanced through permitting and financing and is expected to move to FID by 2026.
In Spain, Iberdrola’s Puertollano Hydrogen Plant — paired with a 100 MW solar farm and 20 MWh battery system — has already entered operation. It uses a 20 MW electrolyser to supply green ammonia production by Fertiberia, marking Europe’s largest operating industrial hydrogen site.
Farther south, Chile’s Haru Oni pilot plant in Punta Arenas — developed by HIF Global with Siemens Energy — operates on a smaller scale, using a 1.2 MW electrolyser powered by wind to produce e-methanol and synthetic gasoline. The pilot aims to scale into commercial e-fuel exports later in the decade.
Namibia’s Hyphen project
Namibia’s Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project in southern Africa remains one of the continent’s most ambitious renewable-hydrogen ventures. The planned development, located in the Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park near Lüderitz, covers up to 4,000 km² of desert land leased from the Namibian government.
The developers — a joint venture between Germany’s Enertrag and Nicholas Holdings of the United Kingdom — plan to build multi-gigawatt solar and wind generation to produce hydrogen for export as ammonia.
Hyphen was awarded its concession in 2021 and continues environmental and engineering studies ahead of FID.
In 2025, German utility RWE withdrew from its non-binding offtake memorandum, citing slower European market growth, but project sponsors said negotiations with other buyers are ongoing.
The Namibian government expects construction to begin later in the decade, potentially creating thousands of temporary jobs and hundreds of permanent positions.
Project scale and geography
The largest concentration of green-hydrogen projects is in Asia and the Middle East, followed by Europe, North America, and Latin America. China accounts for roughly half of global installed electrolyser capacity, while the European Union hosts more than 400 announced projects, mainly in Germany, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. The United States lists about 76 planned projects over the next five years, representing USD 36 billion in capital commitments.
Other emerging clusters include Australia’s coastal industrial zones, North Africa’s export corridors, and the southern cone of South America, where abundant wind resources offer low-cost electricity for hydrogen production.
Failures and withdrawals
The rapid expansion has also brought a series of cancellations and delays. In Australia, Trafigura shelved its Port Pirie Hydrogen Project in South Australia in March 2025 after feasibility studies found cost overruns. The proposed AUD 471 million plant was to supply hydrogen for lead-smelting operations, but failed to secure commercial offtake.
Also in South Australia, the state-backed Whyalla Hydrogen Power Project — part of the region’s “green steel” initiative — was cancelled in 2025 after the associated steelworks collapsed. The Auditor-General’s report cited significant sunk costs and contractual liabilities.
In Namibia, withdrawing RWE from Hyphen’s prospective offtake agreement was another setback, though the project remains active.
Across Europe and North America, several early pilot projects have also been delayed or downsized due to equipment shortages and slow permitting. Data from Hydrogen Europe’s Clean Hydrogen Monitor (2024) shows that only about 4% of announced capacity is currently under construction across the continent.
The operational picture
As of late 2025, only a small fraction of the world’s green-hydrogen projects are operational. Fully functioning sites include Sinopec’s Kuqa plant in China, Iberdrola’s Puertollano facility in Spain, and HIF Global’s Haru Oni pilot in Chile. Projects under active construction with secured financing include NEOM Green Hydrogen in Saudi Arabia, Shell’s Holland Hydrogen I in the Netherlands, and ACES Delta in the United States.
Advanced projects awaiting FID include Air Liquide’s Normand’Hy in France and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy in Namibia.
