Clean Hydrogen: Outlook for Freight Transport in the United States

This research paper examines the potential for clean hydrogen to decarbonize the United States freight transport sector, including road, air, water, and rail. It positions hydrogen as a complementary solution to electrification and other clean fuels, noting that while significant cost, infrastructure, and technological barriers exist, hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels could provide mature, low-carbon alternatives by 2050.

• Clean hydrogen is viewed as a complementary energy carrier to electrification and other low-carbon fuels (such as ammonia, propane, and methanol) for decarbonizing US freight. It can be used directly as a fuel or as a feedstock for other clean fuels, potentially offering mature, low-cost, and low-carbon alternatives to conventional fuels by 2050.
• The application of hydrogen varies across freight segments: long-haul, heavy-duty trucking may require hydrogen due to the need for energy-dense fuels and fast refueling; maritime freight may transition to hydrogen or hydrogen-based fuels like ammonia by midcentury; air freight may use sustainable aviation fuels in the near term before hydrogen's role increases by midcentury; and rail freight has near-term opportunities for hydrogen in rail yard switching locomotives and as backup power for locomotives.
• Significant barriers to the adoption of hydrogen include high costs, the need for delivery infrastructure, and technological challenges related to storage and distribution. Specifically, hydrogen's low boiling point and small molecular size create issues with boil-off and the energy required for compression or liquefaction.
• In the United States, clean hydrogen production is being supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides US$9.5 billion for production and infrastructure, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers a production tax credit for low-carbon hydrogen.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Clean Hydrogen: Outlook for Freight Transport in the United States. https://www.wri.org/research/clean-hydrogen-outlook-freight-transport-united-states

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Clean Hydrogen: Outlook for Freight Transport in the United States. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/clean-hydrogen-outlook-freight-transport-united-states.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Clean Hydrogen: Outlook for Freight Transport in the United States |url=https://www.wri.org/research/clean-hydrogen-outlook-freight-transport-united-states |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendclean, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Clean Hydrogen: Outlook for Freight Transport in the United States}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/clean-hydrogen-outlook-freight-transport-united-states}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }