Key role for green hydrogen foreseen

China has emerged as a global leader in renewable energy-based hydrogen production, boasting over 50 percent of the world's installed capacity, driven by ambitious government policies and technological advancements, officials and experts said.

The country's commitment to hydrogen is evident in the rapid development of projects, particularly in northern regions, including the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which are contributing significantly to global energy transition, said Bian Guangqi, deputy director of the National Energy Administration's energy saving and technology equipment department.

"The NEA is steadfast in promoting the development of the hydrogen energy industry," Bian said, highlighting the government's efforts to strengthen top-level design, formulate industrial policies, deepen technological innovation and explore project implementation models.

These initiatives are fostering positive development across the entire hydrogen value chain, from production and storage to transportation and utilization, he said.

Bian said the government will increase support for scientific and technological innovation platforms, key technology breakthroughs and grassroots application demonstrations, promoting the deep integration of technology and industry.

The administration will also continue to promote the application of new energy in sectors such as energy, chemicals, transportation and metallurgy, facilitating the large-scale development of the new energy industry. International cooperation will be deepened within frameworks such as the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the open development of the new energy industry, he said.

China's recently enacted energy law includes hydrogen within its energy framework, which, according to Bian, signals the government's support for hydrogen development and its potential in the energy mix.

The law, which took effect on Jan 1,2025, aims to promote renewable energy, enhance energy security and facilitate China's energy transition. Specifically, it supports the development and utilization of new fuels and industrial raw materials that can replace oil and natural gas, which provides a foundation for hydrogen energy's growth.

Inner Mongolia has been at the forefront of China's green hydrogen revolution, with a comprehensive policy system supporting the entire industry chain, from production and storage to transportation, utilization and equipment manufacturing.

Hu Chengdong, deputy director of the energy bureau of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, said the region has issued 16 industrial policies to support the development of the hydrogen industry.

It has also produced 4,100 metric tons of green hydrogen and 1,400 tons of green ammonia during the first seven months of this year, leading the nation in production volume, he said.

After releasing the country's first provincial-level hydrogen pipeline plan last year, the region is looking at further accelerating the construction of hydrogen pipeline projects this year to promote the large-scale, long-distance and low-cost transportation of green hydrogen, said Hu.

Recently, the first domestic green hydrogen-ammonia integrated project was successfully put into operation in Inner Mongolia, as well as the first national 30-megawatt pure hydrogen gas turbine project.

Tang Shuxian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, noted that with continuous technological innovation, the cost of green hydrogen will approach that of gray hydrogen.

Tang also pointed out that demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is strong and is an important area for green hydrogen consumption in the future. He predicts that by 2027, the SAF blending ratio in aviation fuel will reach 5 percent, corresponding to a green hydrogen demand of 610,000 tons.

Yang Lei, deputy dean of the Institute of Energy at Peking University, emphasized that hydrogen energy has both industrial raw material and energy product attributes, making it an important and feasible solution for industrial decarbonization.

Renewable energy-based hydrogen production can not only solve the problem of renewable energy storage but also help industries that are difficult to decarbonize directly through electrification to achieve low-carbon and zero-carbon transformation through industrial process reengineering, he said.

He expects that hydrogen energy will show a diversified development trend in the next five years and become a new economic growth point.

Contact the writers at zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn