VIETNAM is becoming Asia’s hydrogen hub with $2.1-2.4 billion in foreign direct investment flowing into the hydrogen sector in 2025 but the workforce to support this cleantech manufacturing boom doesn’t exist yet. Countries including South Korea, Singapore, and Australia are now racing to build a 2025-2035 talent pipeline targeting 500-800 hydrogen engineers and technicians by 2027, scaling to 5,000-7,000 personnel for gigawatt-scale green hydrogen projects by 2035.
The global green hydrogen and cleantech investment race has landed in Vietnam and ASEAN, with an avalanche of international R&D, manufacturing facilities, and supply chain infrastructure. The question now: can workforce development keep pace with Vietnam’s hydrogen industry ambitions?
Vietnam’s Hydrogen Investment Surge: The Numbers Behind the Boom
Vietnam’s foreign direct investment (FDI) capital in the first half of 2025 reached US $21.51 billion, with manufacturing and processing capturing 55-56% of total registered FDI (US $12 billion). Critically for cleantech workforce development, nearly US $1.18 billion flowed to Science and Technology/professional-scientific-tech activities, and US $905 million to Water Supply and Waste Treatment—sectors directly tied to hydrogen production and cleantech infrastructure.
The hydrogen sector specifically is seeing massive capital commitments:
- China Huadian’s $2.39 billion green hydrogen project in Quang Tri province
- Asian Development Bank mobilizing $2.1 billion as part of Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP)
- Market potential scaling from $100 billion by 2035 to $1.2 trillion by 2050
Vietnam’s 2024 green hydrogen strategy (Decision No. 165) targets 100,000-500,000 tonnes/year hydrogen production by 2030, scaling to 10-20 million tonnes/year by 2050. Foreign capital is flowing into 18 out of 21 national economic sectors—proof that government policy and incentives work for attracting cleantech investment.
On the Ground: Vietnam’s First Major Green Hydrogen Manufacturing Plant
FNGN Media travelled to Ho Chi Minh City last year to meet with The Green Solutions Founder and CEO Winnie Huynh for an introduction to their ambitious hydrogen manufacturing plant with hydrogen transport logistics port. Located approximately 200km from HCMC covering 21 hectares in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh’s Duyen Hai District, this facility represents Vietnam’s hydrogen manufacturing future.
Expected to become operational in 2026, the plant will initially produce:
- 24,000 tons of green hydrogen annually
- 195,000 tons of oxygen per year
- 300-500 direct jobs for local residents
This single facility exemplifies the workforce development challenge: Vietnam needs trained hydrogen technicians, safety specialists, plant operators, and engineers—skills that require specialized training programs most Vietnamese institutions don’t yet offer.
The Hydrogen Workforce Gap: Why Vietnam Needs Regional Training Partners
The Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment (HCMUNRE), with an International Graduates program, has positioned itself to become the training center for the hydrogen industry in Southern Vietnam. Their research projects span climate change adaptation, renewable energy investment, biomass energy, and environmental impact studies—but specialized hydrogen workforce training remains limited.
This is where international cleantech education partnerships become critical.
How Australia Builds Vietnam’s Cleantech Workforce Capacity
Australia-Vietnam Green Economy Academy: Structured Training Pipeline
The Australia-Vietnam Green Economy Program, led by Asialink and Climateworks Centre with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade support, ran a transformative Green Economy Academy in March 2024. The four-module, two-hour weekly training program covered:
- Vietnam’s sustainable development landscape
- Clean technology sectors and investment opportunities
- Vietnamese business culture for cleantech partnerships
- Decarbonization strategies and green skills development
The program culminated in an April 2024 summit in Ho Chi Minh City bringing together over 150 business leaders and experts, backed by a AUD $105 million Australian government aid package for sustainable infrastructure planning and private clean energy investment in Vietnam.
Australia Awards Scholarships: Building Long-Term Cleantech Expertise
Australia Awards Scholarships annually support 60 Vietnamese citizens to pursue master’s degrees in priority areas including:
- Environment, Climate Change and Energy
- Water Resources
- Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
- Sustainable/Renewable Energy Solutions and Innovation
Since 1974, over 6,500 Australia Awards alumni have returned to Vietnam, contributing expertise to cleantech sectors. This long-term scholarship pipeline creates the mid-level management and technical leadership Vietnam’s hydrogen industry needs.
Germany’s Direct Hydrogen Workforce Investment: $50M Training Facility
Germany’s GEO Group invested $50 million to establish a renewable energy workforce training center in Bình Định province on a 20-hectare coastal site. This facility represents the most direct hydrogen workforce development investment in Vietnam:
Training Capacity:
- Thousands of technicians annually
- Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certification
- Modules for offshore and onshore renewable energy operations
- Wind, solar, and green hydrogen technologies training
- Simulation facilities replicating offshore conditions
This is exactly what Vietnam’s hydrogen manufacturing plants need: GWO-certified technicians who can operate, maintain, and troubleshoot green hydrogen production facilities at scale.
Singapore’s Cleantech Hub Strategy: Regional Workforce Ecosystem
Singapore has positioned itself as a cleantech launchpad with 4,000 startups and hundreds of venture capital firms and accelerators. Key institutions like National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have established dedicated sustainability and cleantech research centers that Vietnamese students can access.
Singapore is planning to import wind energy from Vietnam and collaborating through initiatives like the Third Derivative (D3) climate-tech accelerator, connecting over 280 cleantech startups with industrial players. This creates a regional cleantech workforce ecosystem where Vietnamese engineers can gain exposure to cutting-edge hydrogen technologies before returning home.
South Korea’s Technology Transfer: Vietnam-Korea Institute Model
The Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), modeled after Korea’s KIST and established through South Korean ODA, serves as a center for advanced technology research and talent training in Vietnam.
2025 Research Cooperation Priorities:
- Digital transformation
- Clean energy and renewable energy
- Semiconductors and AI
- Nuclear power and hydrogen collaboration
Both countries are expanding hydrogen workforce cooperation, with focus on technology transfer that helps Vietnam build domestic hydrogen expertise rather than relying permanently on foreign technicians.
Why Vietnam is a “Rising-Star Partner” for Cleantech and Hydrogen in ASEAN
Vietnam is arguably becoming an emerging hydrogen hub in ASEAN and Asia: a country with clear government ambition, natural advantages (3,260km coastline, abundant renewable energy), and growing investment momentum. For companies or governments looking to invest in hydrogen or clean energy supply chain expansion—especially export-oriented projects—Vietnam offers an attractive combination:
✓ Relatively low production costs ✓ Favorable geography for renewable energy ✓ Growing government commitment (national hydrogen strategy, JETP participation) ✓ Emerging institutional structures like the Vietnam Association for Hydrogen and Clean Energy (VAHC) ✓ Strategic location for ASEAN hydrogen exports
However, Vietnam’s role remains as an “emerging hub” with high potential, useful for early to mid-stage cleantech investments, but requiring patient capital and strong risk management—particularly around workforce readiness.
The Critical Challenge: Workforce Development Can’t Keep Pace with Investment
Despite international partnerships, specialized renewable energy and hydrogen training remains comparatively rare in Vietnamese institutions. The effectiveness of capacity-building depends on three critical factors:
Whether trained professionals return to Vietnam after overseas education and apply skills domestically
Whether Vietnamese institutions adopt updated curricula and maintain training standards
Whether Vietnamese hydrogen industry can absorb the trained workforce at scale—if plants like The Green Solutions facility face delays, trained workers may leave the sector
The 2025-2027 target of 500-800 trained hydrogen engineers and technicians is ambitious but necessary. Scaling to 5,000-7,000 personnel by 2035 for gigawatt-scale projects will require sustained investment in training infrastructure, not just one-off scholarship programs.
The Path Forward: Vietnam’s Hydrogen Workforce Needs Sustained Investment
Vietnam’s $2.4 billion hydrogen investment surge in 2025 is real. The Green Solutions’ 24,000-ton hydrogen plant is coming online in 2026. China Huadian’s $2.39 billion Quang Tri facility is moving forward. The market potential of $100 billion by 2035 is achievable.
But without a trained workforce—safety-certified technicians, plant operators, hydrogen logistics specialists, and engineers who understand green hydrogen production at scale—these investments face serious operational risks.
The international training partnerships from Australia, Germany, Singapore, and South Korea provide critical foundation. HCMUNRE’s ambition to become Southern Vietnam’s hydrogen training center shows domestic commitment. But the 2025-2035 workforce pipeline needs acceleration, funding, and institutional follow-through.
Vietnam has the natural resources, government policy, and foreign investment to become Asia’s hydrogen hub. The question is whether workforce development can keep pace with the manufacturing boom that’s already begun.
The Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment (HCMUNRE), with an International Graduates’ program, have their sights on becoming the training center for the hydrogen industry in Southern Vietnam with research projects on climate change adaptation, renewable energy investment projects, biomass energy, and environmental impact studies.
HCMUNRE Positions Itself as the Premier Hub for Vietnam’s Hydrogen Workforce
In a decisive move to address one of the most critical barriers to Vietnam’s green energy ambitions, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment (HCMUNRE) has unveiled a comprehensive roadmap to become the leading training center for the hydrogen industry in Southern Vietnam. The announcement was made by Dr. Tran Thanh Tam, Vice Head of the Scientific Research Department, during the recent Vietnam-ASEAN Hydrogen Human Resources Workshop 2025.
Framing hydrogen as a foundational pillar for achieving Vietnam’s Net Zero 2050 commitment, developing a green industry, and boosting energy exports, Dr. Tam identified the acute shortage of a skilled workforce as the single greatest challenge—and opportunity—for the nation and the wider ASEAN region.
A University Ready for a New Mission
Leveraging over 20 years of expertise in environment, renewable energy, and industrial safety, HCMUNRE is strategically ready emphasized by its three core missions: Training, Research, and Industry Collaboration, asserting its unique suitability to develop hydrogen programs from foundational theory to practical application.
“A skilled workforce is the engine of the hydrogen economy. Without it, even the most ambitious projects and investments will stall. HCMUNRE is committed to building this engine for Vietnam.”
Dr. Tam stated.
A Three-Phase Roadmap to a Hydrogen-Powered Future (2025-2030)
The university presented a clear, phased strategy to systematically build human resource capacity:
- Phase 1 (2025-2026): Laying the Foundation
- Develop six foundational modules covering Hydrogen Basics, Safety, Storage, Fuel Cells, and Electrolyzers.
- Establish a state-of-the-art Hydrogen Lab & Safety Simulation Centre.
- Launch two vocational certificate programs: “Hydrogen Safety & Operation” and “Electrolyzer Technician.”
- Phase 2 (2026-2028): Scaling Up
- Introduce a full, dedicated undergraduate major in “Hydrogen Engineering & Technology.”
- Phase 3 (2028-2030): Going Global
- Aim to export high-quality human resources to the ASEAN and Asia-Pacific regions, establishing Vietnam as a key talent provider.
Applied Research + Robust Industry Partnership Model
To ensure graduates are industry-ready, HCMUNRE outlined key applied research directions, including safety modeling for hydrogen transport, developing green materials for electrolyzers, producing hydrogen from solar and wind power, and conducting environmental impact assessments for the entire hydrogen value chain.
About Vietnam’s Hydrogen Strategy: Vietnam’s February 2024 national hydrogen development strategy (Decision No. 165) targets 100,000-500,000 tonnes/year by 2030, scaling to 10-20 million tonnes/year by 2050, requiring an estimated USD $294 billion in investment and 741.56 TWh of electricity.
Key Training Programs:
- Australia-Vietnam Green Economy Academy (Asialink/Climateworks)
- Australia Awards Scholarships (60 annually in cleantech priority areas)
- Germany’s GEO Group $50M Renewable Energy Training Center (Bình Định)
- Singapore NUS/NTU Cleantech Research Centers
- Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST)
- Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment (HCMUNRE) International Graduate Programs
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NEXT WEEK FNGN WILL REPORT ON: The International Hydrogen Roadmap Conference with co-hosts of The Vietnam–ASEAN Hydrogen Club (VAHC) and The Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH), TODAY, 5 DEC with a focus on regional hydrogen strategies, applications, and future collaboration opportunities.
Founder and Chairman of The Vietnam–ASEAN Hydrogen Club (VAHC) is Mr Minh, Le Ngoc Anh, with 28 years of experience in managing and developing large-scale projects in Vietnam. Infrastructure projects such as Phu My 1 Combined Cycle Power Plant, Nhat Tan Bridge Project, 22 years of leadership in a mid-sized company in Vietnam, 15 years of experience in developing new businesses in Vietnam. Mr. Minh is an infrastructure investment expert in Vietnam, founder of the Vietnam Clean and Innovative Agriculture Club (VCAC), chief representative of the BRICS-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and founder of the Hashi Manpower Club.
Mr. Takeaki Uchida, VAHC Vice Chairman in charge of new energy, and head of Vietnam Nippon Solar Co.,Ltd (Supplier and solution for solar energy & EV, EMS business)
More about the Vietnam–ASEAN Hydrogen Club (VAHC) Here+
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