The making of H2-scapes in the Global South: Political geography perspectives on an emergent field of research

Abstract

Clean hydrogen is touted as a cornerstone of the global energy transition. It can help to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors, ship renewable power over great distances, and boost energy security. Clean hydrogen's appeal is increasingly felt in the Global South, where countries seek to benefit from production, export, and consumption opportunities, new infrastructures, and technological innovations. These geographies are, however, in the process of taking shape, and their associated power configurations, spatialities, and socio-ecological consequences are yet to be more thoroughly understood and examined. Drawing on political geography perspectives, this article proposes the concept of “hydrogen landscape” – or, in short, H2-scape – to theorize and explore hydrogen transitions as space-making processes imbued with power relations, institutional orders, and social meanings. In this endeavor, it outlines a conceptual framework for understanding the making of H2-scapes and offers three concrete directions for advancing empirical research on hydrogen transitions in the Global South: (1) H2-scapes as resource frontiers; (2) H2-scapes as port-centered arrangements; and (3) H2-scapes as failure. As hydrogen booms in finances, projects, and visibility, the article illuminates conceptual tools and perspectives to think about and facilitate further research on the emergent political geographies of hydrogen transitions, particularly in more uneven, unequal, and vulnerable Global South landscapes.