ITA to host roundtable discussion focused on hydrogen

The International Trade Administration has announced it will host a roundtable discussion on June 29 focused on challenges and opportunities for strengthening the supply chain and export competitiveness of the U.S. hydrogen industry.

The ITA is inviting applicants from a wide array of industry representatives to participate in the roundtable, ranging from existing manufacturers of goods and providers of services to prospective new market entrants. According to a notice published by the ITA, participants in the event will have products that are, or will be, produced in the U.S. along the hydrogen value chain.

The supply and use of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen is an integral part of reaching climate and net-zero goals. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that, as of 2021, only 1 percent of global hydrogen was produced with low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions methods. The U.S. currently produces approximately 10 million metric tons of hydrogen annually, primarily from fossil resources. There is significant potential, however, to produce hydrogen from biomass resources, including through biogas reforming and fermentation of waste streams. There are also technologies that use ethanol as a feedstock for hydrogen production. The bioenergy sector is not only a potential supplier of hydrogen, it is also a potential consumer of hydrogen. In its recently released U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, the DOE estimates that approximately 2-6 million metric tons per year of hydrogen could be required to produce 35 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) annually, which is the volume of SAF the agency estimates would be required to replace the use of all fossil-based aviation fuel in the U.S. by 2050.

The ITA’s roundtable discussion will be closed to both the press and the public. Industry participation will be limited to 25 qualifying company representatives. The roundtable will also include officials representing the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of State and other relevant agencies. Company representatives interested in applying to attend the roundtable must submit an application by June 23. Additional information is available on the Federal Register website.