Competitiveness of green hydrogen: A systematic literature review through the TCCM prism

¹ LEFMI, Faculty of economics & management, Ibn Tofail University, 14000 Kenitra, Morocco
² National School of Architecture, 93002 Tetouan, Morocco

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 3 February 2026

Abstract

This study presents a systematic literature review on the competitiveness of green hydrogen, with a particular focus on emerging economies. Faced with the urgent need to decarbonize sectors that are difficult to electrify, green hydrogen appears as a strategic option, but its widespread adoption remains hampered by issues of cost, technological maturity, and governance. Using the TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, Methodology) approach, this research analyzes a corpus of 45 indexed articles to identify the major determinants of competitiveness. The results show that competitiveness does not depend solely on lower technological costs, but on a systemic combination of factors including stable regulation, suitable infrastructure, innovation, partnerships, and financing mechanisms. The comparative analysis also reveals different trajectories among importing, exporting, and emerging economies, confirming that competitiveness is contextualized rather than universal. The synthesis ultimately highlights a “triangle of competitiveness” based on regulatory stability, secure financing and the development of shared infrastructure, an essential condition for the transition of green hydrogen from the status of a promise to that of a deployed industrial sector.