I. Policy Review: Hydrogen Policy Updates
(i) Domestic Policies
National Energy Administration: Announcement No. 6 of 2025 by the National Energy Administration. To thoroughly implement the Energy Law of the People's Republic of China, and to fulfill the requirements of the Medium and Long-Term Plan for Hydrogen Energy Industry Development (2021-2035), further explore innovative hydrogen management models and diversified development paths, and promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, the National Energy Administration organized the application and selection process for energy sector hydrogen pilot projects.
Hainan Province: Suggestions of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. In terms of hydrogen energy, it points out: Proactively layout the "Four New" future industries. Focus on new fields and tracks, promoting the innovative development of biomanufacturing, hydrogen, brain-computer interfaces, and embodied AI as future industries. Explore multiple technology routes, typical application scenarios, feasible business models, and market supervision rules, establishing a mechanism for increased investment and risk sharing. Improve the diversified supply system of biological raw materials, cultivate and build high-level innovation platforms, consolidate competitive advantages in marine biomanufacturing and bio-breeding, and create a biomanufacturing industry cluster with Hainan characteristics and advantages. Support offshore wind power for hydrogen production demonstration, combining multi-scenario applications, driving the full industry chain development of hydrogen "production, storage, transportation, and utilization." Establish a provincial-level technological innovation center for brain-computer interfaces, tackling core technologies in brain science and electrodes, chips, etc., accelerating the industrialization of research outcomes. Promote the widespread application of embodied AI in diverse scenarios, creating an integrated industrial ecosystem for production, learning, research, and application.
(ii) Overseas Developments
European Commission: On December 8, the EU launched a clean tech financing plan worth 520 million euros (approximately 5.6 billion yuan), funded from the revenues of the EU Emissions Trading System, which is part of the 6 billion euro clean tech budget planned for 2025 under the EU Clean Industry Pact.
BP (British Petroleum): On December 1, BP formally wrote to the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) announcing the withdrawal of its application for the development consent order for the H2Teesside project. Launched in 2021, the project was originally planned to invest 2 billion pounds in building the largest blue hydrogen production facility in the UK, with an annual capacity of 160,000 mt, equipped with carbon capture and storage facilities capable of capturing 2 million mt of CO2 annually.
Hystar (ExxonMobil): Hystar and McDermott collaborated on the design of a 100MW PEM electrolyzer plant, announcing their partnership at the World Expo for Hydrogen Technologies in Hamburg. Hystar provided efficient PEM electrolysis technology, while McDermott was responsible for engineering, procurement, and construction.
II. Enterprise Dynamics: Project Signings and Technical Cooperation
(I) Project Intelligence
Shenzhen Port Group:China Marine Bunker, Shenzhen Port Group, and COSCO Shipping Lines collaborated at Yantian Port in Shenzhen to successfully refuel the methanol dual-fuel powered container ship "COSCO Shipping Carnation" with domestically produced green methanol fuel.
Dalian High-tech Zone Haichuang Property Management Co., Ltd.:The winning bid result announcement for Package A of the sanitation vehicle renewal procurement project of Dalian High-tech Zone Haichuang Property Management Co., Ltd. was released. The procurement mainly involves 8 units of 18 mt hydrogen fuel sweepers, with the bid winner being Zhitu Automobile (Dalian) Co., Ltd.
Daan Jidian Green Hydrogen Energy Co., Ltd.:The Daan Gaseous Hydrogen Storage Technology Transformation Project has successfully obtained approval. It is reported that the total investment in the project reaches 88.6734 million yuan, with its core construction content and scale focusing on adopting spherical tank gaseous hydrogen storage technology. The total planned hydrogen storage capacity is 177,600 Nm³, of which the effective hydrogen storage volume is 144,300 Nm³, and the total project area covers 11,000 m².
Guangzhou Bus Group Co., Ltd.:Announced the winning bid results for the procurement project of 450 units of 8.5-meter hydrogen fuel cell city buses. It is understood that the bid item is divided into two sections. Section 1: Procurement of 8.5-meter hydrogen fuel cell city buses, with a procurement quantity of 250 units. The bid winner is Guangzhou Kawo New Energy Vehicle Co., Ltd., with a winning unit price of 1.0749 million yuan per unit. Section 2: Procurement of 8.5-meter hydrogen fuel cell city buses, with a procurement quantity of 200 units. The bid winner is Xiamen Golden Dragon United Automotive Industry Co., Ltd., with a winning unit price of 1.073 million yuan per unit.
Dongguan Xinfengyang Hydrogen Energy Development Co., Ltd.:Issued an invitation announcement for the construction of the Zhongtang Integrated Hydrogen Production and Refueling Station project, with the maximum bid limit set at 3 million yuan. It is reported that the integrated station will cover two main functional areas: on-site methanol-based hydrogen production and hydrogen refueling. Its designed daily hydrogen production capacity is about 200 kg/24h, the total on-site hydrogen storage capacity is required to be no less than 100 kg, and the hydrogen storage pressure must not exceed 45 MPa.
China National Pipeline Network Group:In collaboration with the China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, successfully conducted a series of domestic first full-scale high-pressure pure hydrogen pipeline jet fire tests at the China National Pipeline Network Group's Pipeline Fracture Control Test Site in Hami, Xinjiang, filling a technical gap in this field.
(II) Enterprise Dynamics
CITIC Equipment Manufacturing Group:The unveiling ceremony for its establishment was held in Luoyang, Henan Province. Wang Kai, Deputy Secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee and Governor of Henan Province, and Xi Guohua, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of CITIC Group, jointly unveiled the plaque for the establishment of CITIC Equipment Manufacturing Group.
Guoke Green Hydrogen: The "Integrated Hydrogen Production and Refueling Unit," jointly developed by the research team of Researcher Deng Dehui from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Guoke Green Hydrogen (Dalian) Technology Co., Ltd., was exhibited at the second "Chinese Academy of Sciences · Guangdong Province Scientific and Technological Achievements Matchmaking Conference."
Comprius Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: At the Beijing Hydrogen Energy Innovation Center's Achievements Release Conference, it signed the "Advanced Integrated Hydrogen Production and Refueling Green Hydrogen Solution Innovation Consortium" cooperation agreement together with partners including the Beijing Hydrogen Energy Innovation Center, Beijing Gas Group, and Tsinghua University.
Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology: The first commercial liquid hydrogen refueling station in China, constructed by the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was officially put into operation.
711 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC): The methanol fuel supply system independently developed by its subsidiary, Shanghai Qiyao Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., successfully completed trial voyages and was officially delivered.
Dongfang Hydrogen Energy: The 200kW hydrogen fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) system independently developed by Dongfang Hydrogen Energy successfully completed a 168-hour continuous stable operation test and was officially put into operation at the Three Gorges Inner Mongolia Ulanqab Generation-Grid-Load-Storage Technology R&D Test Base.
III. Technological Progress: Breakthroughs in Efficiency and Cost
(I) Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Transportation Sector
Beijing Hydrogen Energy Innovation Center: At the "Hydrogen Heart Peer, Create and Win the Future" Beijing Hydrogen Energy Innovation Center Achievements Release Conference, the center released R&D achievements for a forward-designed integrated hydrogen-electric chassis for heavy-duty trucks. The project's Version 2.0 heavy-duty truck achieved a hydrogen consumption of 7.1 kg per 100 kilometers under plain conditions, and the vehicle achieved flash charging, with refueling completed in 10-15 minutes.
CIMC Enric: The product of the 38.7 m³ Type II tube trailer container project, developed by its Shijiazhuang Enric Gas Machinery Co., Ltd., successfully rolled off the production line.
Chinese Academy of Sciences: The new Sprayed Ultra-High Performance Concrete (SUHPC) technology, jointly developed by CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd. and the Wuhan Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was successfully applied in the initial tunnel support project for China's first rock cavern hydrogen energy storage system cavern project—the Hubei Daye Rock Cavern Hydrogen ESS.
Foshan Xianhu Laboratory: The industry's first "Zero-Carbon Ammonia-Fueled Aluminum Billet Heating Furnace" for aluminum extrusion production was launched at the Foshan Xianhu Laboratory. This equipment achieves zero-carbon operation in the aluminum processing heating stage, marking a significant step forward in the green transformation of China's aluminum processing industry.
Shougang Group Co., Ltd.: It successfully developed a full series of hydrogen pipeline steels (B/X42/X52/X60/X65MH), breaking through six key technical bottlenecks, including hydrogen embrittlement damage and low-temperature toughness, and formed a relatively comprehensive product matrix for hydrogen pipeline steels.
CNPC Baoshun (Qinhuangdao) Steel Pipe Co., Ltd.:Successfully trial-produced various specifications of "submerged arc welded straight seam pipes" for pure hydrogen transportation.
(II) Fuel Cell Technology/Product Dynamics
South China University of Technology:Chen Yu's team discovered a Ce₀.₆Ni₀.₂Cu₀.₂O₂ nanocatalyst with a heterogeneous structure, contributing to high-performance direct methanol protonic ceramic fuel cells.
Wuhan University of Technology:Professor Tang Haolin's team collaborated with Professor Jin Huanyu from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. They proposed a strategy of "coupling electron-withdrawing groups to enhance proton delocalization," reducing the proton delocalization energy barrier in perfluorosulfonimide-phenyl acid (PFSI-BPA) membranes through molecular structure design, achieving synergistic improvement in efficient proton conduction and thermal stability, which was confirmed through a combination of in-situ measurements and theoretical calculations.
Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology:By carefully designing the structure in the titanium dioxide electrolyte and leveraging the synergy between polystyrene sphere templates and lithium-based electrodes, the team successfully induced an "online in-situ structural transformation" inside the battery, ultimately forming a stable lithium-titanium-oxygen-carbon heterogeneous structure.
Qingneng Co., Ltd.:Launched a 3MW fuel cell power generation system applicable for backup power scenarios in data centers.
CIMC ENRIC:Its subsidiary Jingmen Hongtu Company's first set of marine methanol supply skids successfully passed certification from the China Classification Society and obtained the CCS product certificate.
