A Buying Opportunity for 2024\n\nThe hydrogen and fuel cell market is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 32.59% from 2023 to 2028. This growth is driven by decreasing production costs and an increasing demand from the automotive sector. Delays in policy implementation and a lack of strategies for creating demand are hindering the widespread adoption of low-emission hydrogen production and utilization.\n\nThe Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have played a significant role in boosting renewables through historic investments in different programs, grants, and tax credits. These investments have resulted in over $227 billion in announced public and private investments in utility-scale solar, storage, wind, and hydrogen in the last two years. There is still a substantial gap between announced and actual investments, reflecting uncertainties surrounding pending Treasury guidance on tax credits.\n\nWhile there is a growing number of announcements for new projects aiming to produce low-emission hydrogen, only 5% of these projects have made firm commitments, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This hesitation is mainly due to uncertainties surrounding the future demand outlook, lack of clarity regarding certification and regulation, and insufficient infrastructure for delivering hydrogen to end users.\n\nIn an unfortunate turn of events, a preliminary version of the Treasury Departments guidelines for claiming tax credits related to hydrogen production under President Joe Bidens climate law was leaked on December 5. Advocates are concerned that the proposed requirements could potentially hinder the growth of the emerging hydrogen industry. The draft suggests incorporating conditions put forward by some environmentalists, restricting the $3-per-kilogram credit to hydrogen production facilities powered by recent clean energy projects such as wind or solar, within the past three years.\n\nThe hydrogen and fuel cell market is expected to continue its growth trajectory, with novel applications in heavy industry and long-distance transport projected to account for one-third of global hydrogen demand by 2030. \n\n The hydrogen and fuel cell market presents a buying opportunity for 2024. The IIJA and the IRA have set the stage for the emergence of a new green hydrogen economy, but delays in policy implementation and a lack of strategies for creating demand are hindering its widespread adoption.”