Clean tech powering the next energy transition phase
Solar, hydrogen, batteries, carbon capture – clean technologies are shaping a lower-carbon future. We help clients finance, scale and deliver them.
The global case for clean technologies
The path to net zero depends on the world’s ability to deploy clean technologies at scale. From renewables and batteries to hydrogen and carbon capture, these innovations form the backbone of the energy transition. Yet their adoption remains uneven – mature in some regions, less so in others – and scaling them requires investment, policy coordination, and financial innovation.
Clean technologies are not just environmental solutions. They enable governments to meet national climate targets, help businesses evolve their operations, and open new growth corridors across sectors such as energy, transport, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
As our Global Head of Transition Finance, Ben Daly, notes in our Industries in Transition podcast, Clean technologies: how can they facilitate decarbonisation?: “You can’t look for a quick fix. We’re supporting the full evolution of the energy system – from fossil-based to low-carbon.”
Progress depends not on one breakthrough, but on a portfolio of technologies working together – each at different stages of maturity and investment readiness.
Where does each clean technology stand today?
While many technologies show progress and promise, only a few have reached commercial scalability. Others still rely on concessional capital, public-private partnerships, or blended financing models to attract investors. Understanding their relative maturity helps corporates and financiers identify where opportunities lie today – and where innovation will be needed next.
| Technology | Current Status | Key Enablers / Challenges |
| Solar | The most mature and widely deployed clean-energy source globally. Costs have fallen by >80 per cent in the past decade. | Manufacturing scale (led by China) and supportive policies have driven rapid growth; integration into national grids remains a focus. |
| Wind (Onshore / Offshore) | Established, but infrastructure-intensive and site-specific. | Requires continued investment in grid capacity. |
| Batteries / Energy Storage | Rapidly scaling – a critical enabler for renewable energy reliability and grid stability. | Falling costs and gigafactory investments drive growth; recycling and supply-chain security are emerging priorities. |
| Hydrogen (Green & Blue) | Early-stage but with strong policy tailwinds in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. | Production remains 3-4× costlier than fossil alternatives; infrastructure and offtake agreements are key hurdles. |
| Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) | Growing adoption, especially among global carriers responding to decarbonisation mandates. | Limited feedstock and refining capacity; requires scaling of production to close cost gap with conventional jet fuel. |
| Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) | Proven technology but limited commercial deployment to date. | Needs stronger carbon pricing and long-term regulatory frameworks to improve project bankability. |
Ben Daly notes that “Battery storage was almost non-existent 3 years ago – now it’s a major part of our business” – This rapid evolution highlights both the speed and unevenness of clean-tech maturity across markets and sectors.
Closing the bankability gap
For many clients, the question isn’t whether to decarbonise – it’s how to fund it. Clean-technology projects often face a bankability gap: proven in principle, but still too early, too capital-intensive, or too fragmented to attract traditional financing.
1. Bridging ambition and finance
Transition finance helps bridge that gap – combining commercial, concessional, and blended capital to make pioneering projects viable. At Standard Chartered, our teams structure financing solutions that evolve with the client’s transition journey, from early demonstration projects to full-scale commercial rollouts.
2. Turning technology knowledge into bankable advice
One of our biggest differentiators lies in our people. We’ve built a dedicated transition finance and clean-technology team comprising former engineers, project developers, and sector specialists who have been directly involved in technologies such as carbon capture, hydrogen, biofuels, or have been in the sectors most heavily engaged with these technologies.
Their technical fluency allows us to translate complex technology risks into financial structures investors can trust – turning innovation into investable outcomes.
3. Navigating policy and regulation
Many technologies rely on emerging carbon markets or subsidy frameworks. Our transition finance team help clients understand the regulatory pathways and structure projects that qualify for incentive mechanisms and international standards.
4. Partnering across ecosystems
Scaling clean technologies requires partnership. We work with energy producers, industrial users, developers, and investors to co-create funding models – such as green corridors linking renewable supply from the Middle East to demand centres in Europe and Asia.
As Arnaud Bouille, our Head of Clean Technology and Environment M&A, explains: “The energy transition requires many inputs – not just power generation, but the infrastructure, storage, and capital flows that make these technologies scalable.”
Partnering to deliver the next phase of clean technology
Every client’s journey is different – but the need for credible, scalable financing is universal.
We partner with corporates, investors, and developers to help bring clean-tech projects from concept to reality through a combination of advisory, structuring, and financing solutions.
Our support spans:
- Transition finance – structuring loans and bonds that fund clients’ shift toward lower-carbon business models.
- Project and export finance – backing large-scale infrastructure such as solar, hydrogen, and CCUS facilities across our footprint markets.
- Advisory expertise – leveraging our in-house clean-technology specialists to evaluate project design, technology readiness, and bankability.
- Supply-chain and trade finance – enabling the flow of key materials – from battery minerals to SAF feedstocks – across regions.
- Investor connectivity – mobilising institutional, sovereign, and multilateral capital for clean-tech investments in emerging markets.
With a presence in over 35 markets – many at the forefront of the energy transition – we connect global capital with local opportunity, combining technical understanding, financial innovation, and cross-border reach to accelerate progress.
The path forward
Clean technologies are redefining the global energy landscape. But the race to net zero will depend not only on innovation – it will also depend on collaboration, capital, and commitment.
For businesses, now is the time to identify where clean-tech adoption can create both sustainability impact and strategic advantage. For financiers, it is a chance to unlock growth by supporting solutions that will power the next generation of industries.
Explore how we can help you identify, structure, and finance clean-technology opportunities that align with your transition goals.
Our role is to make sure clients have access to the advisory services and capital they need to scale credible transition pathways
Ben DalyMD, Global Head of Transition Finance, Standard Chartered
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Standard Chartered has an important role to play in supporting our clients, sectors and markets to deliver net zero, but to do so in a manner that supports livelihoods and promotes sustainable economic growth. We currently provide financial services to clients, sectors and markets that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions however we’re committed to net zero in our own operations by 2025 and in our financed emissions by 2050.