East Asian Transportation : Icebreaking into a low carbon future

The energy transition paradigm consists in a substitution of fossil energy for renewable resources, and low carbon transportation is one of the most important issues within this process. The oil century introduced modern mobility to society and since then petroleum supply has been a key to control transportation services. Energy security and environmental issues, as well as business aspects of implementing innovative technological chains at national and international levels, are major drivers for decarbonisation of transportation services for East Asian economies. Policy, institutions and technological patterns toward lower carbon footprints for the transportation sector are overviewed in this article. The emphasis is on hydrogen technologies, the corresponding drivers and the ambitions of industrialised East Asian economies to establish hydrogen infrastructure at a national level. The major factors for hydrogen technologies and hydrogen infrastructure developments in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are briefly discussed. The role of road transportation systems in such development is highlighted. Current energy consumption for transportation is described, some official documents are reviewed and a snapshot of recent developments is provided for each of these economies.