Dr. Tom Mason, CEO, Bramble Energy – a leader in clean energy innovation – outlines key trends from 2024 and predictions for 2025.
2024 in Review: China surges ahead of Western nations
China’s hydrogen adoption and fuel cell deployment, particularly in the mobility sector, has expanded at an enormous rate this year – far outpacing any other nation. While little has been reported, it’s something Western economies should be looking at for 2025 and beyond.
In the UK, for instance, there have been no material changes, and we still lack credible strategy for the implementation of hydrogen and other technologies to achieve true net zero in the economy. Instead, the need for strategic roadmaps to connect early-stage projects with scalable solutions remains.
2025 Outlook: three key areas to watch
- Infrastructure is always a slow-moving picture. That being said, the enormous progress in mobility refuelling infrastructure in China should not be ignored. In 2025, a number of large projects will significantly add to the national capacity of green hydrogen.
- The most promising applications for hydrogen in 2025 will remain in the hard-to-abate sectors that face significant challenges transitioning away from fossil fuels. Industries like logistics stand out as key adopters for hydrogen, given their need to transport substantial goods efficiently while maintaining high asset utilisation and uptime in their operations.
- The funding landscape for early-stage companies, particularly in the hydrogen sector, is currently facing significant challenges. Next year, the evolution of US policy on clean energy technologies is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the market. This could, in turn, influence how other international communities prioritise hydrogen and other key technologies critical to advancing the global energy transition.
To meet these challenges and opportunities, Bramble Energy has targeted density and cost; with a threefold increase in power density and halving fuel cell production costs this year alone. Looking to 2025, we will go further on both, with a focus on manufacturability and rapid innovation.
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