This month Cleantech Council invites non-members to join their Innovation Review on Hydrogen. In this meeting, you'll hear from analysts and experts and meet the founders and leaders of cutting-edge startups developing hydrogen-based solutions for industrial, aviation, and energy projects.
Silicon Valley, California, May 14, 2025/Meeting Recap/ The Cleantech Council convened a May 13 meeting focused on Hydrogen For Energy. The subject of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier is important to global efforts to transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy (RE) sources. Hydrogen holds significant potential as a means to store and transport energy generated from intermittent renewables like solar and wind, addressing the critical challenge of to ensuring a ready supply when RE generation is low. The global hydrogen generation market underscores this growing interest, valued at $155.38 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $242.71 billion by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%. The meeting, hosted by LG Nova in Santa Clara, CA, brought together about 35 attendees to delve into cutting-edge developments shaping the hydrogen economy.
The meeting featured valuable insights from key contributors in the hydrogen space. Our panel provided an in-depth look at the market for hydrogen, taking us from the past, to the present, and sharing a vision for the future. This discussion included Kristen Cleven (a Strategic Partnerships expert with a long career in the gas vendor industry) and Roxana Bekemohammadi (Executive Director, United States Hydrogen Alliance). Their conversation touched on the state of the industry, noting the recent turbulence, while emphasizing that innovation can support areas of the hydrogen economy that are seeing progress, such as mining, rail, and particularly marine applications where network design is conducive to hydrogen use. Ms. Bekemohammadi, approaching the topic from a policy perspective with fifteen years in the field, discussed the effort to translate technical advancements into effective policies across various states
A significant portion of the innovation discussed centered on the various forms of hydrogen storage and transport, including gaseous, compressed, and liquefied states, as well as its conversion into more stable molecules. Given hydrogen's propensity for leaks and the difficulties associated with its transport, many of the innovative solutions presented focused on generating hydrogen near its point of use or, conversely, utilizing it close to where it is generated. This localized approach helps mitigate transport challenges and associated energy losses. Another solution to the slippery nature of H2 involves upconverting hydrogen into ammonia, where hydrogen can leverage ammonia’s well-established large-scale market (agriculture) and that transportation infrastructure - offering a potential solution to the chicken-and-egg problem often faced by nascent energy carriers. The ammonia can be used directly, or reconverted back into H2 for energy.
Discussions among attendees and presenters revealed a consensus on key sectors where hydrogen demand appears sufficient to potentially establish self-sustaining profitable economic models. Ports, logistics hubs, mines, and rail operations were frequently cited as prime candidates for early adoption and growth. Furthermore, several startups showcased portable hydrogen solutions designed to serve use cases that may not initially warrant a large-scale electrolyzer installation. These innovators view their portable offerings as a means to facilitate the organic expansion of hydrogen markets, extending around initial niche sources or hubs (ex: ports).
Throughout the meeting, there was unanimous agreement that widespread adoption of hydrogen energy will not be driven by mandates or regulations alone, but rather by making it economically advantageous for users. And our startups addressed improving the efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of the hydrogen economy. Technologies highlighted during the meeting included advancements in PEM electrolysis utilizing non-iridium components to boost efficiency, improved storage tank designs, portable power solutions, fleet hydrogen car sharing models, and various ammonia-based technologies. The meeting concluded with presentations from startups focused on reducing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for green hydrogen through novel electrolyzer stack technologies.
As nations and corporations commit to ambitious decarbonization goals, hydrogen emerges as a critical tool in the energy transition arsenal. And if the innovations can lower the cost of adoption, economics will also favor hydrogen energy. Its ability to act as a flexible energy carrier, storing surplus renewable energy and delivering it when needed, directly addresses the intermittency challenge that has been a significant hurdle for widespread RE integration. Beyond energy storage, hydrogen's potential applications in hard-to-abate sectors like heavy transport, industrial processes, shipping, and aviation offer pathways to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions where direct electrification is challenging. However, technical and economic challenges, such as improving production efficiency, reducing storage and transport costs, and ensuring safety, continue to drive research and development efforts. Hydrogen will first succeed in the niches where it fits better than fossil or battery alternatives, then grow scale in those niches, and expand from there.
The startup presentations were well-received by the audience, sparking productive business engagements between the presenting companies and the attendees during the dedicated networking breaks and over lunch. The Cleantech Council exists to cultivate strong business relationships and accelerate the pace at which members and innovators can finalize deals, shortening the time it takes to get new solutions into the commercial markets. The exchange of ideas is the groundwork for future collaborations and advancements in the Hydrogen Energy sector.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the hosts, LG Nova, for providing the venue for this meeting. Special thanks are also due to all the presenters who shared their valuable insights and innovations, and to the panel speakers for their expert contributions to the discussions. All of the presentations delivered at this meeting will be made available in the Cleantech Council’s Member Library.