4 March 2026
World Bank Report highlights electrolyzers as core to scaling green hydrogen
The World Bank’s ‘Electrolyzers for Hydrogen Production: Technical and Economic Characteristics’ report provides the first comprehensive global analysis of electrolyzer technologies - the key enabler for renewable (green) hydrogen production - offering practical insights for policymakers, investors, and developers on technology trends, costs, supply chains, and deployment pathways. It shows that global electrolyzer manufacturing capacity has grown rapidly (with alkaline and PEM technologies dominating), but many plants operate below optimal utilization, and that electricity cost is the primary driver of hydrogen production economics, with competitive projects managing around $3/kg of hydrogen only where renewable power is affordable and reliable. Most total project costs lie outside the electrolyzer stack itself, pointing to opportunities for cost reduction through scale, standardized design, and integrated planning, while technology choice depends on local energy profiles and end-use requirements.