The energy trade association’s report, which tracks 221 projects across the region, said just 6.46GW of 56.35GW worth of planned green hydrogen facilities are currently under construction.

In the three APAC nations with the largest project pipelines – Australia, India, and South Korea – less than 13% of projects have reached final investment decision (FID).

Just eight of Australia’s 63 announced projects have passed FID; in India, only eight from 60; and just three of South Korea’s 27 projects.

The report also claims that APAC contract awards halved to 27 in 2025, from 54 the previous year.

It said this is a result of “common challenges” in the region, including offtake uncertainty, infrastructure gaps, slow permitting and supply-chain constraints.

By contrast, China continues to accelerate.

It currently hosts 60% of global electrolyser manufacturing, and more than 3,000 supply chain companies are operational in the country, supported by $210m in direct government funding.

Furthermore, China has 58 installed green hydrogen plants with a combined 3GW capacity producing 123,000 tonnes-per-year.

The EIC said this momentum is driven by China’s policy framework. The country’s five-year plan from 2021-2025, which focused on an initial hydrogen production and utilisation ecosystem, is identified as having imposed targets of 100,000-200,000 tonnes, which were ultimately exceeded in the timeframe.

Rebecca Groundwater, EIC’s Global Head of External Affairs, said the region’s project planning is let down by its capacity for developing them in practice.

“The projects moving forward are the ones with credible buyers, realistic economics, infrastructure in place and, most importantly, a clear policy direction,” she added.

Countries in the APAC region represent some of the most promising hydrogen markets on paper. Australia is positioning itself as a major exporter of green hydrogen, while India is pushing forward with several green ammonia projects.

Emerging markets like Indonesia and Malaysia also continue to explore hydrogen within broader energy transition frameworks.