CEM Hydrogen Initiative

The Clean Energy Ministerial Hydrogen Initiative (CEM H2I) has currently 21 participating countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, European Commission, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, United Kingdom and United States.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) was selected to co‑ordinate this initiative.

CEM H2I will drive international collaboration on policies, programs and projects to accelerate the commercial deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across all sectors of the economy.

Drawing on the recommendations from the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting in 2018 in Japan, this cross-country collaboration will build on the successes of other global collaborations on hydrogen such as the Hydrogen Challenge under Mission Innovation, the ongoing work through the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the economy and global analysis carried out through the IEA.

It will aim to address barriers and identify opportunities for hydrogen in the global transformation to a clean, affordable and reliable energy sector looking at the global supply chains of this new energy vector.

The initiative will focus on how hydrogen can contribute to cleaner energy systems, while promoting sustainability, resiliency and energy security. Initial work carried out through the initiative will focus on three different areas:

1. Helping to ensure successful deployment of hydrogen within current industrial applications.
2. Enabling deployment of hydrogen technologies in transport (e.g. freight, mass transit, light-rail, marine).
3. Exploring the role of hydrogen in meeting the energy needs of communities.

The members of the initiative are CEM H2I working on developing an ambitious programme of activities, including:

1. Building collaborations with other international hydrogen activities (lead by the IEA)
2. Identification of national targets and definition of Global Aspirational goals for hydrogen
3. Twin City Program
4. Hydrogen to fuel
5. Tracking of strategic partnerships and projects
6. Roundtable on North Sea (led by The Netherlands)
7. Organisation of dissemination events