The Accelerated Development and Utilization of Hydrogen Energy Industry
As the construction of a new energy system in our country accelerates, there is a growing focus on how to actively and orderly promote the development and utilization of hydrogen energy.
At the recent 2025 International Hydrogen Energy Conference and Exhibition, a series of green, efficient, and cutting-edge hydrogen energy products, technologies, and solutions were showcased, including:
- The world’s first “hydrogen swap” heavy-duty truck, capable of a quick 5-minute hydrogen swap and a single operational range of 500 kilometers, with energy replenishment efficiency comparable to traditional fuel vehicles.
- An integrated intelligent hydrogen refueling robot that can autonomously refuel without interruption for extended periods, significantly reducing costs by replacing manual labor.
- Hydrogen-powered drones featuring ultra-long endurance and low-temperature resistance.
- Seawater hydrogen production equipment that conserves precious freshwater resources and opens new pathways for hydrogen energy development.
The current global energy landscape is undergoing profound adjustments, with a green transition entering a new phase. Hydrogen energy, as a green, low-carbon, and flexible energy source, is a key choice for major world economies in advancing energy low-carbon transitions.
As the largest producer and consumer of hydrogen globally, our country is strategically fostering hydrogen energy as a key emerging industry and future energy source. In March 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration released the Long-Term Planning for Hydrogen Energy Industry Development (2021-2035), which clarified the strategic positioning of hydrogen energy and set goals for establishing a hydrogen energy supply system and promoting applications.
With the formal implementation of the Energy Law of the People’s Republic of China in January 2025, the primary status of hydrogen energy was affirmed, and several specific measures have been introduced to support the high-quality development of the hydrogen industry, further accelerating the industrialization of hydrogen energy.
Rapid advancements in renewable energy hydrogen production technology were evident at the exhibition, where numerous well-known hydrogen companies showcased their new electrolyzer products, reflecting a flourishing industry.
In the transportation sector, a variety of enterprises demonstrated new-generation high-power density fuel cell stacks and long-life membrane electrode technologies, achieving performance indicators at the international top level. Guangzhou Haipote Technology’s flagship hydrogen fuel cell truck, the H49, boasts a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, marking a breakthrough in the technology of hydrogen commercial vehicles in our country.
Bian Guangqi, Deputy Director of the Energy Conservation and Technology Equipment Division of the National Energy Administration, noted that all aspects of hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation, and utilization in our country are showing positive development trends. Scaled renewable energy hydrogen production projects in regions like Kuqa, Xinjiang, and Ningdong, Ningxia, have been established, demonstrating a complete process from renewable hydrogen production to storage, transportation, and application.
By 2024, the cumulative production capacity of global renewable energy hydrogen projects is expected to exceed 250,000 tons, with our country accounting for over 50%, gradually becoming a leading region in the global development of renewable energy hydrogen production and related industries.
As 2025 marks the end of the “14th Five-Year Plan” and the planning year for the “15th Five-Year Plan,” continuous implementation of the hydrogen energy industry development long-term planning requirements is essential. Bian Guangqi emphasized the need for increased policy support, further clarifying hydrogen energy industry development goals in the “15th Five-Year” energy development plan, and promoting scientific layout of hydrogen projects and industries to facilitate coordinated development across the entire hydrogen energy chain.
The Energy Law of the People’s Republic of China explicitly states the need to actively and orderly promote hydrogen energy development and utilization, fostering high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry. This legislative inclusion demonstrates the nation’s commitment to advancing hydrogen energy and transforming the energy structure, while also guiding the overall direction for improving the institutional system of the hydrogen energy industry and raising standards for industry development and management.
Overall, the hydrogen energy industry is still in its initial stages of industrialization and faces numerous practical challenges, including economic viability. Yan Guochun, a member of the Party Group and Deputy General Manager of the National Energy Group, highlighted the necessity of creating an open and innovative ecosystem to promote global cooperation in the hydrogen energy industry chain and supply chain.
Economic feasibility is key to the large-scale replacement of hydrogen energy. According to Academician Gan Yong from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, three main strategies can reduce the cost of green hydrogen: producing hydrogen in regions rich in renewable energy resources; utilizing large-capacity pipelines for hydrogen transportation in areas with high hydrogen consumption; and employing geological hydrogen storage in suitable rock cavities or abandoned mines.
To continuously lower costs in the hydrogen energy industry, the focus should be on accelerating technological innovation and enhancing support for energy technology innovation platforms, research initiatives, and integrated application demonstrations. “Our country has established several research institutions and innovation platforms related to hydrogen energy, forming an initial complete hydrogen energy industry chain and technology chain,” stated Academician Peng Suping, a member of the Strategic Guidance Committee of the China Hydrogen Energy Alliance.
The China Hydrogen Energy Alliance has released the Research Report on the Development Roadmap of Hydrogen Energy Technology in China, which indicates that by 2035, off-grid hydrogen production using renewable energy will become a significant trend, with decreasing power generation costs from renewable sources and accelerating iterations of water electrolysis technology. The application scenarios for hydrogen will continue to focus mainly on transportation and industrial sectors, with further development in hydrogen applications in power generation and construction.
Peng Suping suggested that efforts to support hydrogen technology innovation should be intensified, and national-level hydrogen development technology roadmaps should be established, continuously improving the hydrogen technology innovation system to promote the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry.
Advancing into the Deep Sea
Marine hydrogen energy represents a strategic theme that intertwines energy revolution with the construction of a maritime power and is a crucial part of the global hydrogen supply system, as well as a breakthrough point for large-scale offshore wind power development. By converting wind and solar resources into green hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels locally, it can address the challenges of renewable energy integration in deep seas, extend the value chain towards hydrogen-based green fuels, and significantly support the construction of global green shipping corridors, thereby becoming a strategic lever for ensuring national energy security and promoting international trade in hydrogen-based fuels.
On March 27, our country’s first integrated marine hydrogen-ammonia-methanol project was completed in Yantai, Shandong, entering the debugging phase and laying the foundation for the project’s operation and full verification of the offshore hydrogen production process. This project is a collaborative effort between the National Energy Group Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd., and Guoneng Hydrogen Innovation Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. It utilizes offshore renewable energy for off-grid hydrogen production and converts green hydrogen into easily storable ammonia and methanol, both of which serve as clean fuels for ships and important industrial raw materials with widespread applications in chemical production and energy sectors.
China’s coastal areas and seas possess abundant wind, solar, and seawater resources, offering a distinct advantage for producing green hydrogen from green electricity. Direct electrolysis of seawater for hydrogen production allows for the local conversion of unstable and challenging-to-store green electricity into relatively easy-to-store and consume green hydrogen, while also saving valuable freshwater resources, paving the way for hydrogen energy industry development.
The successful advancement of the first integrated marine hydrogen-ammonia-methanol project signifies a full-chain breakthrough in offshore hydrogen production technology. Innovations include corrosion-resistant alkaline electrolyzer technology from CIMC Jide, a megawatt-level direct seawater electrolysis device developed by the Shenzhen Tsinghua University Research Institute, successful verification of modular technology in real marine scenarios by Tsinghua University’s distributed industrial hydrogen production equipment, a cooperative scheduling model for wind power hydrogen production and energy storage proposed by Goldwind Technology, and the release of the Marine Hydrogen Production Platform Design Guidelines by the China Classification Society, which fills a gap in industry standards for offshore hydrogen production facilities.
As technology matures and costs gradually decrease, seawater hydrogen production technology is expected to achieve large-scale industrial application in the future. Currently, our country is accelerating research on seawater hydrogen production, with universities and research institutions actively engaging in technological advancements in this field.
Liu Wei, Secretary-General of the China Hydrogen Energy Alliance, Director of the Hydrogen Energy Division of the National Energy Group, and General Manager of Guohua Investment (Hydrogen Energy Company), stated that the three major scenarios for marine hydrogen energy include near-shore “semi-maritime and semi-terrestrial” offshore wind power aiding industrial decarbonization, far-sea “fully maritime” offshore hydrogen-ammonia-methanol integrated energy hubs, and “zero-carbon islands” as solutions for integrated marine hydrogen energy supply. According to reflections by the China Hydrogen Energy Alliance on pathways, marine hydrogen energy is expected to achieve the vision of offshore energy hubs, and it is recommended to promote marine hydrogen energy development from the dimensions of technology, equipment, regulations, and industrial policies, thereby creating a marine hydrogen-based energy network and advancing the establishment of a global legal framework and international agreements on marine hydrogen energy.
