Identifying where renewable-based hydrogen adds value

Thailand is developing both a long-term hydrogen roadmap for the energy sector (2025–2050) and a short-term action plan (2025–2030), while also revising major national climate and energy planning frameworks. These parallel processes create an opportunity to clarify where renewable-based hydrogen can deliver real value, and where it risks becoming inefficient or unnecessarily costly.

This policy brief outlines no-regret uses of hydrogen in Thailand’s energy transition. It argues that direct electrification and renewable power expansion should remain the primary decarbonisation pathways wherever possible. Hydrogen should instead be prioritised for applications that are difficult to electrify and where it can deliver wider system benefits, particularly for industrial decarbonisation and long-term flexibility.

The brief assesses hydrogen’s potential role in Thailand’s net-zero pathway, highlights near-term demand opportunities in refining and the wider chemicals value chain, and examines proposed uses in the power sector and transport. It finds that hydrogen blending in gas-fired power generation offers limited emissions reductions at high cost, while hydrogen is likely to remain a niche option in road transport.

Overall, the policy brief provides practical recommendations for aligning hydrogen planning with Thailand’s energy security and industrial development goals, while avoiding broad and non-targeted uses that could significantly increase power demand and system costs.