ADBI Working Paper Series HISTORY, STATUS, AND FUTURE CHALLENGES OF HYDROGEN ENERGY IN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR Wen-Long Shang, Xuewang Song, Qi Liao, Meng Yuan, Jie Yan, and Yamin Yan No. 1404 July 2023 Asian Development Bank Institute Wen-Long Shang is an assistant professor at Beijing University of Technology and Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College London. Xuewang Song is a postgraduate student at Beijing University of Technology. Qi Liao is a lecturer at the China University of Petroleum (Beijing). Meng Yuan is a postdoctoral candidate at Aalborg University, Denmark. Jie Yan is an associate professor at the State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University. Yamin Yan is a lecturer at the China University of Petroleum (Beijing). The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of ADBI, ADB, its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms. Discussion papers are subject to formal revision and correction before they are finalized and considered published. The Working Paper series is a continuation of the formerly named Discussion Paper series; the numbering of the papers continued without interruption or change. ADBI’s working papers reflect initial ideas on a topic and are posted online for discussion. Some working papers may develop into other forms of publication. The Asian Development Bank refers to “China” as the People’s Republic of China and to “South Korea” as the Republic of Korea. Suggested citation: Shang, W.-L., X. Song, Q. Liao, M. Yuan, J. Yan, and Y. Yan. 2023. History, Status, and Future Challenges of Hydrogen Energy in the Transportation Sector. ADBI Working Paper 1404. Tokyo: Asian Development Bank Institute. Available: https://doi.org/10.56506/VTUD5388 Please contact the authors for information about this paper. Email: shangwl_imperial@bjut.edu.cn Asian Development Bank Institute Kasumigaseki Building, 8th Floor 3-2-5 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-6008, Japan Tel: Fax: URL: E-mail: +81-3-3593-5500 +81-3-3593-5571 www.adbi.org info@adbi.org © 2023 Asian Development Bank Institute ADBI Working Paper 1404 W.-L. Shang et al. Abstract In recent years, extreme weather around the world due to climate change has occurred increasingly frequently, and countries globally have gradually realized the harm caused by global warming. All countries are also making efforts to promote less consumption of fossil fuel energy and the use instead of renewable energy technologies that are environmentally friendly and have lower carbon emissions. The transportation sector, as a main contributor to energy consumption and pollution emissions, is receiving increasing attention. At the same time, new energy vehicles are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than fuel vehicles, making them more prevalent in the automotive market, which is flourishing. Green hydrogen energy can be used as a renewable, clean, and efficient energy source for new energy vehicles and is also gradually being used in transportation to promote the goal of carbon neutrality. This paper reviews the research on hydrogen energy in the transportation field, summarizes the previous research results, and presents the challenges to the future application of hydrogen energy. Keywords: carbon neutrality, hydrogen, climate change, renewable energy, transportation JEL Classification: R40 ADBI Working Paper 1404 W.-L. Shang et al. Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 1.2 2. THE APPLICATION OF HYDROGEN ENERGY ........................................................ 3 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3. Background.................................................................................................... 1 Research Status ............................................................................................ 1 The Hydrogen Energy Production Process .................................................... 3 Classification of Hydrogen Energy Applications ............................................. 4 Processes and Technologies for Hydrogen Energy in Transportation ........