IEA cuts likely 2030 clean hydrogen project pipeline by 40%

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has cut the volume of clean hydrogen production it considers likely to be operating by 2030 by around 40%.

Despite a 27 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) clean hydrogen project pipeline for 2030, the agency now sees just over 6 mtpa as having a strong chance of reaching operation by the end of the decade, down from 10 mtpa in its previous Global Hydrogen Review.

It said a further 22 mtpa of projects eyeing end-of-decade start-up are at risk unless final investment decisions (FID) are taken within the next year.

The warning comes as demand remains weak. The IEA described demand creation as the sector’s “crucial missing piece”, saying new offtake agreements were broadly unchanged in 2025 at around 1.7 mtpa and remain insufficient to unlock large-scale investment.