Abstract Title: Business Opportunities and Strategic Pathways for Developing a Low-Emission Hydrogen Supply Chain in Vietnam
Author: Lê Ngọc Ánh Minh, Chairman, Vietnam ASEAN Hydrogen Club (VAHC)
Presented at THE ABBS - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOHYDROGEN AND BIOPROCESSES 2025
Abstract:
Vietnam's national hydrogen strategy, approved under Decision No. 165/QĐ-TTg (February 2024), sets ambitious targets: producing 100,000–500,000 tonnes of low-emission hydrogen annually by 2030, scaling up to 10–20 million tonnes by 2050. This commitment positions Vietnam within a key growth region, as highlighted in the IEA's Global Hydrogen Review 2025, which identifies Southeast Asia (ASEAN)—particularly Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia—as a major future consumption hub due to its industrial growth and decarbonization commitments. However, the development of a commercially viable low-emission hydrogen value chain faces significant bottlenecks, including high technology costs, expensive low-emission electricity, substantial water consumption, and nascent regulatory frameworks.
This presentation, leveraging insights from the IEA's Global Hydrogen Review 2025, explores the critical business opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises within this evolving landscape. Key identified opportunities include:
- Policy & Certification Consulting: Capitalizing on the need to develop national standards aligned with emerging global frameworks, particularly as the IEA anticipates finalization of low-emission hydrogen and ammonia standards by 2025-2026.
- Industrial Decarbonization: Opportunities for state-owned and private enterprises in power generation, oil & gas, refining, steel, cement, and chemicals to integrate hydrogen into their decarbonization roadmaps, in line with Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8) and the national hydrogen strategy.
- Diversified Production Pathways: Beyond electrolysis, significant potential exists for producing low-emission hydrogen from domestic waste sources, including biomass gasification and advanced plastic waste pyrolysis, addressing both energy and waste management challenges.
- Equipment Manufacturing & Trade: The global trade landscape, including new EU regulations on electrolyser origins and tariffs in North America, creates a strategic window for Vietnam to become a regional hub for manufacturing and exporting hydrogen production equipment through technology partnerships.
- Pilot Projects for Transport: Immediate opportunities exist in deploying hydrogen fuel cell technology in smaller-scale demonstrations, such as retrofitting existing railway lines, implementing shuttles at tourist sites, and piloting hydrogen-powered tugs and port vessels. Furthermore, hydrogen enrichment—injecting hydrogen into internal combustion engines (ICEs) for trucks, ships, and gen-sets—presents a near-term, scalable solution to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions from existing fleets.
- Natural Hydrogen Exploration: Following discoveries globally and exploration initiatives in neighbouring ASEAN countries, Vietnam's geological potential warrants exploration for naturally occurring hydrogen.
- Sustainable Water Solutions: Addressing the high water footprint of hydrogen production by integrating desalination plants in coastal projects.
- Diversified Applications: Exploring niche markets such as hydrogen therapy and health.
The Vietnam ASEAN Hydrogen Club (VAHC) serves as a pivotal platform to foster community building, facilitate knowledge transfer, and advise on project development. This analysis concludes that by strategically addressing these opportunities, with a focus on diversified production and pragmatic near-term applications, Vietnamese businesses can not only contribute to domestic decarbonization and waste reduction but also secure a competitive position in the future regional hydrogen market.
Keywords: Low-Emission Hydrogen, Vietnam Hydrogen Strategy, ASEAN Hydrogen Hub, Hydrogen from Waste, Hydrogen Enrichment, ICE, Pilot Projects, IEA Global Hydrogen Review 2025.
