Tenth Meeting of the Collaborative Framework on Green Hydrogen

In the Collaborative Framework on Green Hydrogen (CFGH) meetings of 2024, there is a strong focus on green hydrogen derivatives, which will have a crucial role in the emerging green hydrogen sector. Derivatives will be critical in transforming local industries and will also be relevant for the international value chains, as green hydrogen is likely to be transported across longer distances in the form of its derivatives rather than as hydrogen itself. Depending on the final product, these value chains will look very different, requiring different technologies and have various degrees of social impact on the local level. This meeting will tap into crucial aspects that require closer examination for driving the green hydrogen and derivative sector forward.

The tenth CFGH meeting tackles aspects of the green hydrogen sector's development that are crucial but sometimes overlooked. This session will draw upon insights from, and further explore the themes of, a recent IRENA report on Shaping Sustainable International Hydrogen Value Chains, with a specific focus on the derivative value chains.

Issues under consideration include sustainable carbon as an important feedstock for producing green hydrogen derivatives, and methanol in particular. The meeting will therefore address the questions of how to ensure that the carbon comes from sustainable sources, and how the demand for sustainable value chains can be met. It will also provide an update on green hydrogen derivatives as hydrogen carriers for transporting hydrogen over long distances and will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different technology options.

Another crucial aspect for the green hydrogen sector is the socio-economic benefits and risks, with a focus on developing countries. Green hydrogen has been accompanied by the promise of significant job creation potential and economic revenues for countries intending to produce and export green hydrogen and its derivatives. The meeting will delve deeper into how local value creation can be maximized, how employment effects may play out, and best practices for community engagement and value creation in the context of large-scale infrastructure project development.

These aspects are complex and cannot be addressed or resolved with easy solutions. These areas are ripe for international collaboration and knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions will be required.

By invitation only.

For more information, please contact cfhydrogen@irena.org.