Renewable Energy versus Hydrogen Energy: Assessing Current Needs for Sustainable Energy Solutions

Renewable energy and low-carbon hydrogen are key to a sustainable energy future and combating climate change. While renewable energy has become cost-competitive with fossil fuels, intermittency remains an issue that hydrogen production and storage can address, though at a high cost. Most countries, including major emitters like China, the United States of America, India, and the European Union, have turned toward these clean energies to meet net-zero targets, accounting for about 88% of global emissions. However, there are countries (i.e., most developing countries) with a severe energy crisis mainly due to affordability challenges and inefficiencies. Such countries are also turning toward these clean energies to alleviate such an energy crisis. This review addresses the questions about current needs regarding H2 production and storage as well as the direct use of weather-dependent renewable energy sources. The review reveals that both renewable energy and hydrogen energy can facilitate the economic growth of a country. However, the economic viability of hydrogen energy is limited, particularly in low-income countries, where the direct use of renewable energy may be more suitable. Hydrogen can drive economic growth through job creation and export income, but challenges like cost competitiveness, infrastructural development, water scarcity, and uncertainty about demand, especially in emerging markets, remain. Clean hydrogen, as a key player in the global energy transition, will require international collaborative efforts, technological innovation, and long-term planning to overcome challenges such as high costs, complex logistics, and the need for further development to meet future clean energy goals.