Below is an overview of the current ballpark estimates for each component. It’s important to note that prices can vary significantly based on technology choices, production scales, and regional differences, and many of these figures are targets for future cost reductions as the technologies mature.
Hydrogen Storage Tanks
Hydrogen storage tanks—especially those used in automotive applications that require high-pressure (up to 700 bar) Type IV composite designs—tend to be quite costly on today’s production scales. Current estimates suggest that advanced composite tanks typically cost in the range of approximately $100 to $200 per kilogram of hydrogen storage capacity. In other words, if you have a tank designed to store 5–6 kg of hydrogen, the cost of the tank itself might fall between $500 and $1,200. Industry and governmental R&D programs (such as those by the US DOE) have set long-term targets aiming to push these costs down substantially, to around $10–$20 per kg, with improved materials, design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) techniques, and mass production strategies.
Fuel Cells
The cost of fuel cell systems also depends strongly on the application and production volume. For automotive applications, ongoing DOE analyses and industry research have targeted prices of around $60 per kW (net) in a high-volume manufacturing scenario (for example, at production rates of 500,000 systems per year). In current market conditions, many fuel cell systems (especially those used in early production vehicles) tend to be more expensive, typically ranging in the $100–$200 per kW ballpark for automotive fuel cells. For lower-volume applications—such as backup power systems—detailed studies (including those using DFMA methodologies) have reported system costs in the range of $1,200 to $1,800 per kW for 5‑ to 10‑kW systems. The large disparity highlights that cost targets are highly sensitive to the production scale and the application context.
Electrolyzers
Electrolyzer costs are currently one of the key factors affecting the economics of green hydrogen. Reports show considerable regional variation:
- In China, System-level costs (including the electrolyzer stack and its balance of plant) average around $600 per kW.
- In Europe and the US: Similar systems are currently priced closer to $2,500 per kW.
Several factors drive these differences, including raw material costs, inflationary pressures, production volumes, and subsidy or incentive structures. Many experts expect that with further scale-up—along with improvements in manufacturing, standardization of designs, and learning through deployment—these costs will drop significantly over the next decade.
Final Thoughts
While these figures provide a general picture, the precise prices can vary depending on technology advancements, market dynamics, and policy incentives. Continued R&D, manufacturing scale-up, and production efficiency improvements are expected to lower these costs in the coming years and thereby enhance the economic attractiveness of a hydrogen economy.
