Context
Thailand recently announced its goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2065. Green hydrogen has great potential to support achieving the net-zero goal while also creating economic activities. Commercial hydrogen producers in Thailand are still limited, and currently most production is grey hydrogen with gas pipeline, tube trailer, and cylinders/cylinders pack as mode of transportation. Thailand will be able to use a wide variety of bio resources as fuels, such as bioethanol and biogas. With the available infrastructure, these resources could have the potential to enable large-scale hydrogen production in Thailand.
However, the development of green hydrogen thus far has been slow and would need to accelerate to serve the net-zero goal. Thailand has still not formulated its national strategies on hydrogen development and needs closer collaboration between ministry policymakers, academics, and the private sector, along with expertise to properly assess the potential use of green hydrogen and its social, economic and GHG emission reduction impacts, as well as suitable production technologies and transportation modes. A masterplan on large-scale implementation of demonstration projects could initiate rapid development of green hydrogen technologies and attract further funding needed for later stages of development. The country has requested technical assistance from the CTCN to develop national strategies on green hydrogen, and to seek additional assistance on pilot demonstration projects along with possible funding support from the Green Climate Fund in the future.
CTCN Support
The objective is to provide a clear strategy to utilize green hydrogen technologies to achieve Thailand’s net-zero goal. The strategy, or so-called masterplan, should serve as a map for a more detailed and actionable plan for the government to develop a regulatory framework, infrastructures and policies to support the development of green hydrogen technologies and to help relevant stakeholders understand their roles during the development stage and future commercial stages. The technical assistance will include an assessment of potential uses for green hydrogen in the energy, transport, commercial and industrial sectors, and the identification of the three most suitable application areas; identification of suitable technological options to produce and transport hydrogen alongside qualitative and quantitative resource requirements; development of a national vision paper; national action plans and technology roadmaps for the implementation of the two most suitable application areas and technologies; identification of resources and expertise required for pilot scale implementation of roadmaps; capacity building for national policymakers, and business matchmaking forums and private sector engagement for the purpose of technology transfer.
Expected Impact
This technical assistance will enhance economic activities, especially in the mobility and automotive sectors, given that green hydrogen and other related clean technologies might be the new growth driving factors in Thailand. Additionally, the agriculture sector, which contains large rural households, could benefit from green hydrogen produced using bio resource technologies. The assistance also contributed to achieving the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution, which aims to reduce GHG emissions by 20% from the projected business-as-usual level by 2030. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2065, Thailand emphasizes the importance of innovation and R&D, especially in the areas of low carbon electricity generation, carbon capture and storage (CCS), bioenergy with CCS, and hydrogen economy.
