How hydrogen can decarbonize the chemical industry in China: A review based on the EIC-TER industrial assessment framework

The green hydrogen chemical industry is integral to achieving carbon neutrality in China's chemical industry. The lack of systematic and in-depth potential assessment is the primary challenge facing the development of the current green hydrogen chemical industry. This study focused on the three major chemical sectors (ammonia, methanol, and refining), assessed the development trends of the upstream and downstream industries from the perspective of the entire industry chain (EIC), and evaluated the development potential of green hydrogen from the dimensions of technology, economy, and roadmap. This study proposes that the rapid transformation of the hydrogen production structure and the increase in the market size of the downstream chemical industry have created a broad space for the application of green hydrogen in the chemical industry. Two application modes of green hydrogen-raw material substitution and process substitution-have high technical feasibility. With the carbon price reaching over $40/tCO2 and the green hydrogen price around $2500/tH2 in 2035, related technologies can gradually become economical from 2035 to 2040. Related green hydrogen consumption will reach approximately 40 Mt in 2050, and hydrogen -related emissions will fall to 10 % of 2020 levels. Furthermore, this study found significant homogeneity problems with the green hydrogen chemical industry in real -world deployments, emphasizing the need to strengthen top-level design in policymaking.