International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Impact Factor 2026: Ranking, Quartile & What It Means

What an 8.3 Impact Factor Means

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy has a 2024 JIF of 8.3, meaning articles published in 2022-2023 averaged 8.3 citations by the end of 2024. The ranking of 6th out of 44 in the hydrogen energy specialty places IJHE among the top venues in what is a rapidly growing field.

In practical terms: The 8.3 IF reflects that hydrogen and fuel cell research is a high-citation field. Papers in IJHE reach researchers worldwide working on energy transition and decarbonization, resulting in solid citation accumulation.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy: The Numbers

2024 Impact Factor: 8.3

5-Year Impact Factor: 7.7 (stable, slight upward trend)

Category Rank: 6 out of 44 in Hydrogen Energy

Quartile: Q1 (top 25%)

Publisher: Elsevier

Type: Peer-reviewed research, reviews, and perspectives

The stable 5-year JIF (7.7) shows IJHE has maintained strong, consistent citation impact. The improvement from 7.7 to 8.3 reflects growing interest in hydrogen energy as a climate solution.

How Does 8.3 Compare?

Within energy research:

Above IJHE: Energy & Environmental Science (15.8), Applied Energy (9.8), Joule (~23)

Below IJHE: Journal of Power Sources (~9.3 is comparable), Journal of Catalysis (~7.0), Chemical Engineering Journal (~8.3 is about equal)

Comparable: Advanced Energy Materials (~27 is higher), Progress in Energy (~varies)

For a field-specific journal in hydrogen energy, 8.3 is genuinely competitive. It ranks above general catalysis and most chemical engineering journals, positioning IJHE as a top-tier venue for its niche.

Journal Scope

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy publishes on:

• Production: Electrolysis, thermochemical water splitting, photoelectrochemical, biological hydrogen production, steam reforming, partial oxidation
• Storage: Compressed gas, liquefied hydrogen, chemical storage, solid-state storage, cryogenic systems
• Fuel cells: Proton exchange membrane, solid oxide, alkaline, phosphoric acid, molten carbonate cells
• Applications: Transportation, stationary power, grid integration, industrial use
• Safety & Standards: Hydrogen handling, storage codes, leak detection, combustion hazards
• Integration: Hydrogen in renewable energy systems, grid decarbonization, sector coupling
• Materials: Catalysts, electrodes, membranes, storage materials

The scope is intentionally broad within hydrogen energy, making it attractive to researchers across disciplines (chemistry, materials, engineering, physics) all working on hydrogen systems.

Acceptance Rate & Timeline

IJHE maintains moderate selectivity consistent with Q1 status. Estimated acceptance rate: 30-40%, higher than multidisciplinary journals but lower than applied specialty journals.

Time to first decision: 60-90 days

Time to publication: 4-6 months after acceptance

Review rigor: Rigorous, typically 2-3 reviewers with subject expertise

The timeline is standard for quality peer-reviewed journals. If hydrogen-specific expertise is critical for peer review, IJHE's reviewer base is strong.

Should You Submit?

Submit if:

• Your research addresses hydrogen production, storage, fuel cells, or hydrogen energy systems
• Results are methodologically sound with clear relevance to hydrogen energy transition
• You're targeting a high-citation venue specific to your field
• You want to reach researchers globally working on hydrogen and renewable energy integration

Consider alternatives if:

• Your work is general catalysis or energy chemistry not specifically on hydrogen (try Chemical Engineering Journal or ACS Catalysis)
• You need very fast publication (IJHE timeline is standard, not rapid)
• Your results are preliminary or highly specialized to a narrow hydrogen subfield (consider more specialized journals)
• You prefer multidisciplinary visibility (try Nature Energy or broader energy journals)

The Impact Factor Interpretation

An 8.3 JIF doesn't mean your IJHE paper will get 8 citations. Some papers accumulate 50+ citations (particularly reviews and seminal hydrogen production studies); others stay below 5. The JIF is strictly an average.

The Q1 rank 6/44 is more informative: it confirms IJHE is among the top-tier hydrogen-specific journals globally, with:

• Rigorous peer review
• Established, active readership in hydrogen energy
• Strong indexing and visibility
• Citation performance that reflects real demand for hydrogen research

Citation Patterns in Hydrogen Research

Hydrogen papers accumulate citations relatively quickly because:

• The field is rapidly growing (climate policy driver)
• Hydrogen is interdisciplinary (chemistry, engineering, materials all cite hydrogen papers)
• Energy transition research is high-priority, high-visibility
• Many research groups worldwide are entering hydrogen research

This citation momentum helps maintain IJHE's strong 8.3 IF.

Related Reading

• International Journal of Hydrogen Energy acceptance rate and submission guide
• Impact factor explained for researchers
• How to choose a journal for your research
• Journal of Power Sources impact factor

Source: Journal Citation Reports (JCR) 2024, Clarivate. Data reflects citations through December 2024 for articles published in 2022-2023.

Last updated: March 2026