NEUMAN & ESSER: Integrated hydrogen solutions and a warning about the global “FID bottleneck”
Ho Chi Minh City – November 27, 2025 – Speaking before Vietnam’s energy and industrial community at the Vietnam Future Energy Summit 2025, Dr. Hao Ngo, Business Development Director of NEUMAN & ESSER (NEA GROUP), delivered a comprehensive overview of the fast-developing global hydrogen economy while emphasizing the urgent need to accelerate projects from planning to real-world implementation.
According to Dr. Ngo, the case for investing in hydrogen has never been stronger. Pressures related to energy security, climate commitments, and the intermittency of renewable power are positioning hydrogen as a central element of the global energy transition. “Hydrogen is a versatile clean molecule capable of storing and transporting energy over long distances and decarbonizing sectors that cannot be electrified,” he stated.
Despite the announcement of 1,418 hydrogen projects worldwide worth USD 570 billion, he warned that only about 7% have reached Final Investment Decision (FID). Regulatory uncertainty, lack of harmonized European technical standards, inadequate fiscal incentives, and lagging infrastructure development remain the primary obstacles.
Drawing from Germany’s experience, Dr. Ngo outlined eight critical preconditions for a functioning hydrogen economy—most of them policy-related—including infrastructure deployment, financing mechanisms, regulatory reform, and renewable energy expansion. “But two preconditions present immediate opportunities for industry: developing a competitive electrolyzer sector and delivering fully integrated hydrogen solutions,” he emphasized.
NEA GROUP, established in 1830, has proactively diversified its portfolio to meet emerging hydrogen market needs. The company now offers an end-to-end solutions package including PEM electrolyzers, high-pressure compressors, storage systems, hydrogen refueling stations, and proprietary optimization software. NEA has operated a >1 MW PEM electrolyzer in Brazil for more than a year and recently completed its first 1 MW unit for the German market.
A major highlight of the presentation was NEA’s integrated solutions strategy, which ensures that hydrogen projects are designed as coherent, interconnected systems rather than isolated components. Beyond supplying equipment, NEA supports investors during early-stage concept development, system modelling, and performance simulation to prevent failures arising from neglected interface interactions.
“The hydrogen economy is not a one-man show. Start with realizable subsystems, scale step by step, and be open to partnerships,” Dr. Ngo concluded.
