IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v393y2025ics0306261925008141.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Overcoming challenges in the path to a hydrogen economy for energy supply chain transition

Author

Listed:
  • Sahebi, Iman Ghasemian
  • Masoomi, Behzad
  • Gholian-Jouybari, Fatemeh
  • Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, Mostafa

Abstract

As global energy systems transition toward sustainability, green hydrogen has emerged as a pivotal component in achieving clean energy goals. Effective planning of the green hydrogen supply chain is essential to ensure its successful adoption. This study conducts a systematic literature review to identify and analyze key challenges associated with the green hydrogen supply chain in the context of Mexico. With input from an expert panel, six challenges and 31 sub-challenges were identified. Using the fuzzy best-worst method, the critical challenges were prioritized, with social and policy issues, such as uncertainties regarding public acceptance emerging as the most significant, followed by infrastructure limitations, environmental impacts, and economic constraints. Based on these findings, the study proposes a set of targeted policy and managerial recommendations, including the development of regulatory frameworks, investment in storage and transportation infrastructure, the standardization of safety protocols, and public awareness initiatives. These recommendations are intended to guide stakeholders in addressing the most pressing barriers to green hydrogen adoption. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for coordinated efforts among government, industry, and academia to accelerate Mexico's transition to a hydrogen-based energy economy and promote long-term sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Sahebi, Iman Ghasemian & Masoomi, Behzad & Gholian-Jouybari, Fatemeh & Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, Mostafa, 2025. "Overcoming challenges in the path to a hydrogen economy for energy supply chain transition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 393(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:393:y:2025:i:c:s0306261925008141
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126084
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261925008141
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126084?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Banerjee, Debarun & Kushwaha, Nidhi & Shetti, Nagaraj P. & Aminabhavi, Tejraj M. & Ahmad, Ejaz, 2022. "Green hydrogen production via photo-reforming of bio-renewable resources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    2. Ajanovic, Amela & Sayer, Marlene & Haas, Reinhard, 2024. "On the future relevance of green hydrogen in Europe," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).
    3. Lim, Chun Hsion & Lim, Steven & How, Bing Shen & Ng, Wendy Pei Qin & Ngan, Sue Lin & Leong, Wei Dong & Lam, Hon Loong, 2021. "A review of industry 4.0 revolution potential in a sustainable and renewable palm oil industry: HAZOP approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    4. Sgarbossa, Fabio & Arena, Simone & Tang, Ou & Peron, Mirco, 2022. "Reprint of: Renewable hydrogen supply chains: A planning matrix and an agenda for future research," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    5. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Fuhao & Lou, Runchi & Wang, Keying, 2023. "How does green finance drive the decarbonization of the economy? Empirical evidence from China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 671-684.
    6. Haoxin, Dong & Qiyuan, Deng & Chaojie, Li & Nian, Liu & Zhang, Wenzuo & Hu, Mingyue & Xu, Chuanbo, 2025. "A comprehensive review on renewable power-to-green hydrogen-to-power systems: Green hydrogen production, transportation, storage, re-electrification and safety," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 390(C).
    7. Rüdisüli, Martin & Romano, Elliot & Eggimann, Sven & Patel, Martin K., 2022. "Decarbonization strategies for Switzerland considering embedded greenhouse gas emissions in electricity imports," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    8. Oner, Oytun & Khalilpour, Kaveh, 2022. "Evaluation of green hydrogen carriers: A multi-criteria decision analysis tool," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    9. Maestre, V.M. & Ortiz, A. & Ortiz, I., 2021. "Challenges and prospects of renewable hydrogen-based strategies for full decarbonization of stationary power applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    10. Azadnia, Amir Hossein & McDaid, Conor & Andwari, Amin Mahmoudzadeh & Hosseini, Seyed Ehsan, 2023. "Green hydrogen supply chain risk analysis: A european hard-to-abate sectors perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    11. Gordon, Joel A. & Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye & Nabavi, Seyed Ali, 2023. "Socio-technical barriers to domestic hydrogen futures: Repurposing pipelines, policies, and public perceptions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    12. Sahebi, Iman Ghasemian & Mosayebi, Alireza & Masoomi, Behzad & Marandi, Fatemeh, 2022. "Modeling the enablers for blockchain technology adoption in renewable energy supply chain," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    13. Müller, Viktor Paul & Eichhammer, Wolfgang, 2023. "Economic complexity of green hydrogen production technologies - a trade data-based analysis of country-specific industrial preconditions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    14. Risco-Bravo, A. & Varela, C. & Bartels, J. & Zondervan, E., 2024. "From green hydrogen to electricity: A review on recent advances, challenges, and opportunities on power-to-hydrogen-to-power systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    15. Patonia, Aliaksei, 2025. "Green hydrogen and its unspoken challenges for energy justice," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PC).
    16. Luís Manuel Rodrigues & Tiago Soares & Igor Rezende & João Paulo Fontoura & Vladimiro Miranda, 2023. "Economic Analysis of a Hydrogen Power Plant in the Portuguese Electricity Market," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-17, February.
    17. Chisalita, Dora-Andreea & Petrescu, Letitia & Cormos, Calin-Cristian, 2020. "Environmental evaluation of european ammonia production considering various hydrogen supply chains," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    18. Lowitzsch, J. & Hoicka, C.E. & van Tulder, F.J., 2020. "Renewable energy communities under the 2019 European Clean Energy Package – Governance model for the energy clusters of the future?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    19. Velazquez Abad, Anthony & Dodds, Paul E., 2020. "Green hydrogen characterisation initiatives: Definitions, standards, guarantees of origin, and challenges," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    20. Serrano-Arévalo, Tania Itzel & López-Flores, Francisco Javier & Raya-Tapia, Alma Yunuen & Ramírez-Márquez, César & Ponce-Ortega, José María, 2023. "Optimal expansion for a clean power sector transition in Mexico based on predicted electricity demand using deep learning scheme," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrzej Graczyk & Paweł Brusiło & Alicja Małgorzata Graczyk, 2025. "Hydrogen as a Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origins in the European Union—The Emerging Market and Regulatory Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-39, January.
    2. Jesús Rey & Francisca Segura & José Manuel Andújar, 2023. "Green Hydrogen: Resources Consumption, Technological Maturity, and Regulatory Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-29, August.
    3. Zhang, Xinqi & Shi, Jihao & Li, Junjie & Huang, Xinyan & Xiao, Fu & Wang, Qiliang & Usmani, Asif Sohail & Chen, Guoming, 2025. "Hydrogen jet and diffusion modeling by physics-informed graph neural network," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    4. Shamoushaki, Moein & Koh, S.C. Lenny, 2025. "Novel maturity scoring for hydrogen standards and economy in G20," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    5. Janmontree, Jettarat & Zadek, Hartmut & Ransikarbum, Kasin, 2025. "Analyzing solar location for green hydrogen using multi-criteria decision analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    6. Azadnia, Amir Hossein & McDaid, Conor & Andwari, Amin Mahmoudzadeh & Hosseini, Seyed Ehsan, 2023. "Green hydrogen supply chain risk analysis: A european hard-to-abate sectors perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    7. Perčić, Maja & Vladimir, Nikola & Jovanović, Ivana & Koričan, Marija, 2022. "Application of fuel cells with zero-carbon fuels in short-sea shipping," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    8. Kourougianni, Fanourios & Arsalis, Alexandros & Olympios, Andreas V. & Yiasoumas, Georgios & Konstantinou, Charalampos & Papanastasiou, Panos & Georghiou, George E., 2024. "A comprehensive review of green hydrogen energy systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    9. Hua Pan & Yan Wang & Yunfeng Chen & Jiakang Sun & Jicheng Liu, 2025. "Network Evolutionary Game Analysis of Coal-to-Hydrogen CCUS Technology Dissemination in Carbon Trading Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-21, January.
    10. Roth, Tamara & Utz, Manuel & Baumgarte, Felix & Rieger, Alexander & Sedlmeir, Johannes & Strüker, Jens, 2022. "Electricity powered by blockchain: A review with a European perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 325(C).
    11. Asna Ashari, Parsa & Blind, Knut, 2024. "The effects of hydrogen research and innovation on international hydrogen trade," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    12. Konstantin Gomonov & Marina Reshetnikova & Svetlana Ratner, 2023. "Economic Analysis of Recently Announced Green Hydrogen Projects in Russia: A Multiple Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-15, May.
    13. Radtke, Jörg & Scherhaufer, Patrick, 2022. "A social science perspective on conflicts in the energy transition: An introduction to the special issue," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    14. Xiao, Yao & Xiang, Rong & Sun, Yong-lei & Chen, Jin & Hao, Yun-hong, 2025. "Digital disruption, knowledge and collaborative networks and green innovation in China manufacturing transformation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    15. Zhang, Rui & Cao, Xuewen & Zhang, Xingwang & Yang, Jian & Bian, Jiang, 2024. "Co-benefits of the liquid hydrogen economy and LNG economy: Advances in LNG integrating LH2 production processes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    16. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chih-Wei & Liu, Fengyun, 2024. "Does green credit promote the performance of new energy companies and how? The role of R&D investment and financial development," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    17. Leila Luttenberger Marić & Hrvoje Keko & Marko Delimar, 2022. "The Role of Local Aggregator in Delivering Energy Savings to Household Consumers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-27, April.
    18. D'Adamo, Idiano & Mammetti, Marco & Ottaviani, Dario & Ozturk, Ilhan, 2023. "Photovoltaic systems and sustainable communities: New social models for ecological transition. The impact of incentive policies in profitability analyses," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 1291-1304.
    19. Chen, Yang & Mu, Huaizhong, 2023. "Natural resources, carbon trading policies and total factor carbon efficiency: A new direction for China’s economy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    20. Zapata, Oscar, 2022. "Renewable Energy and Community Development," OSF Preprints tk59y, Center for Open Science.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:393:y:2025:i:c:s0306261925008141. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.