Title : Green hydrogen adoption in developing countries: Comparative progress, challenges and policy pathways for Pakistan
Abstract:
The energy security of developing countries is facing extreme vulnerabilities due to their reliance on imported fuels, particularly liquefied natural gas, geopolitical conflicts, and fluctuating fuel costs. In this critical situation, green hydrogen can be a reliable energy supply and will also lower carbon emissions. However, the development of a competitive green hydrogen industry needs not just an abundance of renewable resources but also suitable laws, efficient organizations, investment, and market forces.
Due to their reliance on imported fuels, especially liquefied natural gas (LNG), geopolitical unpredictability, and changes in global fuel prices, developing countries with a special emphasis on Pakistan, this study compares the development of green hydrogen in three emerging nations: Egypt, Morocco, and India. This study used a governance-focused comparative methodology to investigate the ways in which institutions, policies, funding sources, and demand-side initiatives are promoting hydrogen development in these nations. The comparison helps to identify the obstacles currently inhibiting Pakistan's growth as well as the elements that have enabled success elsewhere.
The results of the research show that the primary reason for Pakistan’s slow development of renewable energy sources is not its limited potential. However, there are other issues that hinder the growth of the hydrogen economy in the country, including the absence of a coordinated strategy, ineffective institutional framework, lack of policy coherence, inadequate financing, and difficulties in creating demand for hydrogen. According to the cases of India, Egypt, and Morocco, the development of a hydrogen market requires a clear strategic vision, effective institutional governance, access to finance, international partnerships, and pilot hydrogen projects.
Drawing on these lessons, the research points to a number of practical policy directions for Pakistan. These involve strengthening coordination between the relevant institutions, establishing a clear and integrated green hydrogen framework, setting up appropriate regulatory and certification systems, drawing in both public and private investment, backing pilot and demonstration projects, and putting in place measures that can stimulate early demand.
On the whole, the study contends that Pakistan possesses enough renewable energy capacity to take part in the growing green hydrogen economy. The central difficulty lies in converting this potential into a coordinated pathway that can attract investment. Pakistan can draw lessons from how other developing countries have approached this and tailor them to its own economic and institutional conditions, allowing it to harness green hydrogen both as a means of decarbonisation and as a component of a wider plan for lasting energy security.
