On National Hydrogen Day, industry leaders delivered a candid assessment of where hydrogen stands and what it will take to succeed.
Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry Association (FCHEA) President & CEO Frank Wolak and Sunita Satyapal, former Director of the U.S. DOE Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technologies Office, emphasized that the industry must shift from singular demand-building to strategic co-production and systems integration thinking.
Strategic Shifts: The conversation focused on the evolution in market development strategy. Rather than simply creating demand for hydrogen molecules, leaders stressed the importance of co-location opportunities: pairing electrolysis with nuclear facilities, leveraging methane pyrolysis for carbon products, and integrating reversible solid oxide systems. This systems-thinking approach can drive down costs and unlock multiple revenue streams simultaneously.
Global Competition: Satyapal highlighted concerning trends: China now controls 60% of global electrolyzer manufacturing capacity and 70% of deployments, producing 33 million metric tons annually (far surpassing U.S. output). Japan, Korea, Germany, and India continue aggressive buildouts while the U.S. faces policy uncertainty. Their message was clear: domestic leadership requires sustained momentum across the entire value chain, from basic research through deployment.
Building Consensus in Turbulent Times: Wolak shared lessons from navigating the 45V tax credit debates, emphasizing that finding common ground requires identifying shared missions, bringing diverse stakeholders together, and maintaining tenacity. For state and regional leaders, his recommendation is to focus on tangible successes, build ecosystems incrementally, and avoid over-complexity that stalls progress.
The Bottom Line: Both leaders urged the industry to maintain momentum despite current challenges, preserve funding across all technology readiness levels, and avoid the overhype-then-disappointment cycle.
As Satyapal noted: "We need to get to 100 degrees to boil water, and we can't keep taking the pot off the stove at 95 degrees."
