An Assessment Methodology for International Hydrogen Competitiveness: Seven Case Studies Compared

Currently, the global energy structure is undergoing a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, with the hydrogen economy playing a pivotal role. Hydrogen is not only an important energy carrier needed to achieve the global goal of energy conservation and emission reduction, it represents a key object of the future international energy trade. As hydrogen trade expands, nations are increasingly allocating resources to enhance the international competitiveness of their respective hydrogen industries. This paper introduces an index that can be used to evaluate international hydrogen competitiveness and elucidate the most competitive countries in the hydrogen trade. To calculate the competitiveness scores of seven major prospective hydrogen market participants, we employed the entropy weight method. This method considers five essential factors: potential resources, economic and financial base, infrastructure, government support and institutional environment, and technological feasibility. The results indicate that the USA and Australia exhibit the highest composite indices. These findings can serve as a guide for countries in formulating suitable policies and strategies to bolster the development and international competitiveness of their respective hydrogen industries.