584 hydrogen fueling stations launched in 33 countries

Deployments bode well for uptake of fuel cell vehicles in Asia, EMEA and Americas.

The hydrogen fueling station market is witnessing a dramatic acceleration in growth, with 584 hydrogen stations deployed by year-end 2020, according to a study released by Information Trends.

The study, "Global Market for Hydrogen Fueling Stations, 2021" says the number of countries that have deployed hydrogen stations now stands at 33, with more countries gearing up to enter the market.

The deployments are a positive sign for the uptake of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda, said Naqi Jaffery, the President and CEO of Information Trends.

As hydrogen fuel cell buses and trucks gain greater market acceptance, hydrogen stations for heavy-duty transportation are increasingly being deployed, Jaffery said. In the next few years, he added, hydrogen fuel cells will be widely used to drive trains, aircraft, and maritime vessels.

Japan is a clear global leader in deployments with close to 150 hydrogen stations, Jaffery said, but the fastest growth is in China where more than a hundred hydrogen stations have gone into operation.

By 2035, the study said, hydrogen stations will blanket most of the United States, Western Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea.