As the UK announces its first Hydrogen Champion, Jane Toogood, a report from stakeholder intelligence firm alva has revealed the leaders in the global hydrogen industry when it comes to reputation and positive sentiment.
alva’s analysis looked at the fifty most visible companies in the hydrogen discussion in 2022 and compared their performance. Companies analysed range from hydrogen producers and broader energy companies, through to manufacturers using hydrogen to make processes more sustainable, and clean energy investors.
The 2022 data has been analysed using alva’s own stakeholder sentiment methodology including millions of media content pieces across traditional and social media, NGO reports and regulatory data. The dataset is analysed using alva’s NLP sentiment scoring methodology. alva’s scores are ranked between -100 and +100.
Innovation key to positive sentiment
Almost all companies generate strong sentiment scores in the discussion of hydrogen. Doosan leads, with a score of +66.
Innovation is impactful across the sector, including Breakthrough Energy Catalyst investing in cleantech projects worth $15bn in the US, EU and UK. Other impactful innovation news includes energy company TotalEnergies partnering on Masdar’s UAE green hydrogen and SAF project, and Air Products starting work on a $5bn project to produce green hydrogen at Neom.
Leading on visibility
A number of companies emerge as leaders, with higher-than-average visibility and positive sentiment. FiveT Hydrogen and Air Products tie with scores of +59. However, FiveT Hydrogen leads on visibility, with positivity around hydrogen investments including a £167m funding round for Hy2Gen.
Scores for National Grid are slightly lower at +55, though it does benefit from high visibility around partnerships and hydrogen projects. This combination of high scores and high visibility marks the company out as a leader in the sector. The sector’s highest scorers, Doosan and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst sit significantly below the average visibility line, meaning there is an opportunity for them to improve their visibility.
Whilst a number of companies sit just below the sector average for sentiment, Snowy Hydro is the only company to generate a negative score in discussion of hydrogen, due to the “controversial” Kurri Kurri gas-fired plant, in which the addition of hydrogen to the plant is criticised as being too expensive.
2022 Hydrogen Industry Rankings:
| Rank | Hydrogen Firm | Sentiment Score |
| 1 | Doosan
|
66 |
| 2 | Breakthrough Energy Catalyst
|
65 |
| 3 | FiveT Hydrogen
|
59 |
| 3 | Total Energies
|
59 |
| 3 | Air Products
|
59 |
| 3 | ZeroAvia
|
59 |
| 3 | Johnson Matthey
|
59 |
| 8 | Nel
|
58 |
| 8 | Plug Power
|
58 |
| 10 | EasyJet
|
56 |
| 10 | Fortescue
|
56 |
| 12 | National Grid
|
55 |
| 12 | CPH2
|
55 |
Partnerships
Whilst innovation boosts positive sentiment for leaders in the sector, high visibility is generated for companies engaging in partnerships, particularly where there is an energy security angle. Whilst hydrogen has been discussed as an alternative green energy for some time, recent global events have helped to amplify interest in the search for new energy sources. A new urgency around energy security has brought conversation to the fore, with hydrogen discussed as an alternative to fossil fuels, both as a source of power for the domestic population and as a direct fuel source for vehicles and aircraft.
Along with Doosan’s partnership with Southern California Gas, and TotalEnergies partnering on SAF, key stories related to energy security and partnerships include: Toyota confirming it remains dedicated to hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles; National Grid and Centrica announcing a new partnership for the development of new technologies that will enable the injection of green hydrogen into the UK’s gas network; and Uniper resuming plans for a ‘hydrogen-ready’ German LNG terminal, assisting Europe’s energy independence from Russian supplies.
Mark Pillans, Managing Director – Industry, alva, said: “Following on from the appointment of the country’s first Hydrogen Champion, 2022 is shaping up to be the year the UK really starts to invest in building a thriving hydrogen economy. The UK’s hydrogen sector really is at an exciting stage in its development. Globally it is clear that partnerships, innovation and visibility are all vital components for development and success. Reputation will also be key to making sure the sector not only stands up to scrutiny but that it can also deliver on its ambitious plans and targets.”
