On April 4, the megawatt (MW)-class hydrogen-fuelled aviation turboprop engine AEP100, independently developed by AECC Academy of Aero-Engine Research, was installed on a 7.5 mt-class unmanned transport aircraft and successfully completed its maiden flight at Zhuzhou Lusong Airport. This marked the world's first flight test of a megawatt-class hydrogen-fuelled aviation turboprop engine, signifying a breakthrough in the development of green aviation propulsion in China. The maiden flight proceeded smoothly throughout, with the engine operating normally and in good condition. The flight lasted a total of 16 minutes in the air, covering a distance of 36 kilometres at a speed of 220 kilometres per hour and an altitude of 300 metres above ground. The aircraft returned safely after successfully completing all scheduled flight test objectives, and the maiden flight mission was a complete success. The successful maiden flight was of great significance. It not only achieved a leap from technology to engineering in China's independent development of megawatt-class hydrogen-fuelled aviation engines, but also signified that China had established the full technology chain in this field, from core components to complete engine integration. It verified the engineering reliability of the hydrogen fuel propulsion system's compatibility with the flight platform, laying a critical foundation for the subsequent industrialisation of hydrogen-powered aviation applications. This became an important milestone in China's transition of green aviation propulsion from technological exploration to engineering practice.

Capacity side, according to incomplete statistics, China’s alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW and the PEM electrolyzer market remained at 2.7 GW, with no new capacity added. No offline delivery information was available this week. Project-related developments: Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Technology Equipment Co., Ltd.: Its indirectly wholly owned subsidiary, Xinjiang Guofu Mingzhi Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., entered into a sales agreement with independent third party Hefei Zhongke Hecheng Green Energy Co., Ltd. for hydrogen production equipment for a green fuel base demonstration project featuring 20,000 mt of green electricity-based hydrogen production and flexible synthetic ammonia. The total contract value exceeded 55 million yuan. Under the agreement, Guofu Mingzhi will supply the client with six sets of 1,000 Nm³/hour alkaline electrolyzers and auxiliary equipment, such as rectifier transformers, rectifier cabinets, and separation and purification equipment. Xizang Zangqing Energy Equipment Co., Ltd.: A tender announcement was officially issued for the EPC project covering design and construction of Phase I of the zero-carbon intelligent equipment base for the new energy industry of green hydrogen and green methanol in the Zangqing Industrial Park. It is understood that the project mainly includes: an annual output of 100 sets of 1,500 Nm³-2,000 Nm³ alkaline electrolyzers; a 500 MW/year production line for plateau-type PEM electrolyzers; a standardized production line for a 40,000 t/d methanol synthesis unit and components; an annual output of 120 sets of 500 kW integrated hydrogen-oxygen heat and power co-generation units; and an annual output of 50 sets of 500 kg/day skid-mounted integrated methanol hydrogen refueling station equipment. Renewable Green Hydrogen Energy (Inner Mongolia) Co., Ltd.: An announcement was issued on the signing of the EPC general contract for the Phase I, Stage I green ammonia project of the integrated 800,000 mt/year wind and solar power-hydrogen-ammonia project with Donghua Technology. It is understood that the contract was signed by both parties on March 5, with a contract value of 2.026 billion yuan (provisional estimate), and the construction period (mechanical completion) will run until June 18, 2028. Donghua Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. will mainly undertake the design, procurement, construction, operation assurance services, and guidance for startup and commissioning of the EPC project. Tangshan Haitai New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : During the visit by the deputy secretary of the Abaqa Banner Committee in Inner Mongolia, the two sides further deepened cooperation on the 10 GW integrated wind and solar power-to-hydrogen project, working together to advance the project’s early commencement and commissioning. Maoming Binhai New Area Urban Investment Development Co., Ltd.: A public notice was issued on the shortlisted candidates for the construction of Phase I of the supporting road network project for the Green Chemical and Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park in Maoming Binhai New Area. The first shortlisted candidate was CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 98.210593 million yuan; the second shortlisted candidate was Hebei Xiangda Road & Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 98.23076 million yuan; and the third shortlisted candidate was Jiangxi Sitong Road & Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 98.008929 million yuan. Fujian Tianchen Yaolong New Materials Co., Ltd.: A tender announcement was issued for the equipment procurement project for the hydrogen purification unit of the cyclohexanone technology upgrade and renovation project. It is understood that the project plans to procure one set of hydrogen purification unit equipment, with a maximum bid price of 7 million yuan. Inner Mongolia Juliyong Hydrogen New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: Its new-type high-density, low-pressure solid-state hydrogen energy power R&D and industrialisation project was filed. The project will be constructed in Ordos City—Ordos Airport Logistics Park—Phase II, First Floor, Standardised Factory Buildings, Ordos Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Ejin Horo Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. The project is expected to be built in two phases, with a total investment of approximately 120 million yuan. It requires 10 million yuan in policy support funding, with Phase I investment of 40 million yuan and Phase II investment of 80 million yuan. The construction period is three years, and after completion, the project is expected to generate annual profit of 30 million yuan. Policy Review 1. At the press conference held during the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, Zheng Shanjie, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that China would focus on developing the “six emerging pillar industries” and the “six future industries.” Among them, “green hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy” were included in the category of future industries. 2. The People's Government of Shandong Province issued the Implementation Plan on Supporting Jining in Accelerating Green and Low-Carbon Transformation and Building New Advantages in High-Quality Development. The document proposed supporting Jining in fostering and developing emerging industries and future industries such as hydrogen energy production, storage, and transportation, and supporting the construction of future industry acceleration parks; advancing R&D breakthroughs in key technologies such as hydrogen fuel cell vessels, building a leading inland new energy vessel manufacturing base in China; and supporting technological innovation and the promotion and application in fields such as hydrogen energy. 3. With the approval of the National Energy Administration, the Standardisation Technical Committee for the Hydrogen Energy Sector of the Energy Industry was established in Beijing. The establishment of the committee aims to improve the industry standard system, lead technological innovation, and regulate market order. Enterprise Updates Qinghang Times (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. : Qinghang Times was established on January 5, 2026, with a registered capital of 1 million yuan and legal representative He Rongjie. It was founded by a Tsinghua University master's and doctoral team, received support from Tsinghua innovation and entrepreneurship platforms such as Tsinghua i-Space and Tsinghua Chuang+, and was selected for the Sci-Tech Innovation Light “Future Sci-Tech Entrepreneur Program.” Through its technical solution combining liquid hydrogen storage and a high-temperature PEM hydrogen-electric coupling system, it increased aircraft driving range by more than 10 times and payload by 2–3 times. Recently, it completed seed-round financing worth several million yuan, with the investor undisclosed. Shenzhen Hydrogen Energy Co., Ltd.: Completed A+ round financing, with Shenzhen Energy Investment as the investor. Anhui Shuishui New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : Anhui Shuishui Technology completed an A-round financing of over 100 million yuan, led by NIO Capital. This round of funding will be primarily used to fulfill large orders, increase R&D reserves, construct new factories, and support daily operations, in order to drive the integration and upgrading of the industry chain. SPIC Green Energy Co., Ltd.: held talks with Beijing Energy International Holding Co., Ltd., with both sides focusing on areas such as the construction of green electricity transmission channels into Beijing and pipeline transportation of green hydrogen, and conducting in-depth exchanges on deepening cooperation. Beijing Hydrosys Technology Co., Ltd. : helped successfully complete hydrogen refueling at Yunnan’s first integrated “PV–green electricity–hydrogen” refueling station. China Classification Society ​​​​​​​: supported the successful completion of the 16,136 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship project. China Classification Society​​​​​​​​​​​​​​: the “COSCO 9802,” a single methanol-powered chemical tanker for which it carried out drawing approval and construction inspection, was successfully delivered. ​​Patent Applications​​ 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences​​ (China) disclosed patent CN2025110028, developing a ceramic-based anion exchange membrane with a laboratory-tested lifespan of 80,000 hours. ​​2. Johnson Matthey​​ (UK) filed patent WO2025109876, disclosing a Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity close to platinum-based materials. Technology Footprint/Technical Specifications​​ 1. A team from Xi’an Jiaotong University and Peking University jointly developed a new-type osmium-based catalyst, significantly improving the efficiency and economics of hydrogen production from AEM water electrolysis and supporting the large-scale deployment of low-cost green hydrogen. 2. Johnson Matthey and Syensqo achieved efficient recycling and reuse of platinum group metals and ionomers in PEM fuel cells and electrolyzers, substantially reducing the carbon footprint. 3.​​Research teams from the School of Electrical Engineering of Xi’an Jiaotong University and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Materials and Electrical Insulation successfully developed the Ru/Ti3C2Ox@NF bifunctional electrocatalyst for seawater electrolysis. 4. The group standard Technical Specification for Wind and Solar Power, PV+ESS, and Green Electricity Coupled Electrolysis Hydrogen Production (No. T/CIEP 0272—2025) was released and implemented by the China Industrial Environmental Protection Promotion Association. Zhongneng Dayou Energy Technology Co., Ltd. successfully developed a 100 kW-class PEM electrolyzer hydrogen production multi-field coupling test device. 5. GKN Powder Metallurgy announced that it had developed a next-generation high performance, high-porosity, high-purity porous transport layer (HP-PTL) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis.

Capacity-wise, according to incomplete statistics, the domestic alkaline electrolyzer market remains at 43.77GW, and the PEM electrolyzer market stays at 2.7GW, with no new capacity added. The "water electrolysis hydrogen production system - oxygen purification unit" produced by Skyreach Hydrogen Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. has been successfully delivered to a leading large-scale polysilicon producer in China. Updates on electrolyzer projects: Jinfeng Green Energy Chemical (Xing'an League) Co., Ltd.: The Yujinfeng Xing'an League green hydrogen to green methanol (Phase III) project has been filed, with the construction site located in Xing'an League Economic and Technological Development Zone, Ulanhot City, Xing'an League. Total investment: 2.3 billion yuan, including 460 million yuan of own funds and 1.84 billion yuan of bank loans applied for. The planned construction period is from May 2026 to May 2028. The project will mainly construct biomass gasification, methanol synthesis distillation, and other main production facilities along with supporting public auxiliary works, producing 725,000 tons of green methanol annually. Guohua Investment Guohua (Cangzhou) Integrated Energy Co., Ltd.: The Alashan Large Wind and Solar Base Electrolysis Water Hydrogen Production and Ammonia Synthesis System Integration and Engineering Demonstration Project Cangzhou Green Ammonia Phase II Electrolysis Water Hydrogen Production System Preliminary Design Service has issued a public tender. According to the announcement, the first phase of the Cangzhou green hydrogen and green ammonia electrolysis water hydrogen production and ammonia synthesis facility has already been constructed within the reserved area of the green ammonia plant. Shaanxi Hydrogen Luyuan Technology Co., Ltd.: The shortlisted candidates for the hydrogen power supply equipment and its auxiliary devices procurement (0021GBT rectifier power supply) of the Yulin Zero-Carbon Industrial Park Hydrogen (Hydrogen Production) Demonstration Project have been announced. According to the announcement, the first candidate is Beijing Leidong Zhi Chuang Technology Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 1.3668 million yuan; the second candidate is Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 1.4661 million yuan; the third candidate is Shenzhen Hopewind Technology Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 1.48 million yuan. North Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. : A quotation request has been issued for the process equipment of the hydrogen production unit of the electrolysis water hydrogen production device (including electrolyzers, gas-liquid separation skids, purification skids, centrifugal pumps, canned motor pumps, alkali mixing tanks, demineralized water tanks, and auxiliary facilities). Jiangxi Xinlianxin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.: The annual 100kt green methanol demonstration project has passed the filing. It is understood that the total investment of the project is 100.96 million yuan, and the construction scale and content do not involve additional land use, partially relying on Jiangxi Xinlianxin Chemical Co., Ltd. Upon project completion, the facility is expected to achieve an annual production of 100kt of green methanol. Construction is scheduled to commence in April 2026 and conclude in April 2027. Jinda Hongjing (Shache) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The company issued postponement announcements for the full-process tracking audit service and project supervision service of the Jinda Hongjing Shache County Integrated PV Hydrogen Production Project. The revised bid opening date for both is March 10, 2026. The project involves the construction of a new 250kt/year green methanol production facility, including water electrolysis for hydrogen production, biomass gasification units, and methanol synthesis units, along with storage systems and supporting utilities and auxiliary facilities. The annual output is set at 250kt of green methanol, with by-products including 30kt/year of steam and 179.2 million standard cubic meters/year of oxygen. Ningxia Wangwa Coal Industry Co., Ltd.: The winning bid result was announced for the hydrogen production equipment procurement of the Guyuan Pengyang 2×660MW Unit Project. The winning bidders are Suzhou Xipeiyou Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (bid price: 2.062 million yuan), Wuxi Weifu High-Technology Group Co., Ltd. (bid price: 2.2 million yuan), and Shanghai Hydrogen Sharp Technology Co., Ltd. (bid price: 2.3736 million yuan). The tender was divided into one section, specifically for a 10Nm³/h proton exchange membrane hydrogen production unit. Xinjiang Huadian Weihuliang New Energy Co., Ltd.: The company announced the transaction results for the UPS and EPS of the alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production system for the Xinjiang Huadian Urumqi Point-to-Point Hydrogen Refueling Station, as well as the results for the hydrogen production system distribution cabinet. The suppliers are Harbin Jiuzhou Group Co., Ltd. and Tengzhou Taiyuan Power Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., respectively. Junrui Green Hydrogen Energy (Chahar Right Rear Banner) Co., Ltd.: A competitive consultation announcement was released for the full-process management of the Chahar Right Rear Banner 14,400 t/year Hydrogen Production Project. According to the announcement, the procurement budget for the full-process management is 1.69% (bidders must not quote a rate higher than 1.69%, or the bid will be deemed invalid). Policy Review 1. The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission published the "Ningxia 2026 First Batch of Project List Recommended to Private Capital." One key project in the hydrogen energy sector is the Integrated Hydrogen Storage, Transportation, and Utilization Zero-Carbon Energy Demonstration Base, located in the Lingzhou Chemical Industry Park in Lingwu City. The project aims to establish a demonstration model covering the entire green hydrogen production chain, including wind and solar power generation, hydrogen production, storage, and transportation. It will be equipped with corresponding facilities, pipelines, and transport fleets to provide logistics services to surrounding chemical enterprises and offer a feasible solution for replacing gray hydrogen with green hydrogen in the Ningdong coal chemical industry. Additionally, the project plans to construct hydrogen refueling stations to support bus operations and distributed fuel cell power generation projects. The total investment in the project amounts to 2.8 billion yuan. 2. The Jilin Provincial Energy Bureau released the "Implementation Plan for the Development and Construction of Green Electricity Direct Connection Projects in Jilin Province (Trial)" (Draft for Comments). The document indicates that new load projects can carry out green electricity direct connections, with priority support for hydrogen-based green energy (green hydrogen, green hydrogen to green ammonia, green hydrogen to green methanol, green hydrogen to sustainable aviation fuel, etc.), steel metallurgy, computing (data) centers, automotive manufacturing, and other industries. Electricity consumption projects that have not been registered with grid enterprises (including expansion parts of existing loads), electricity consumption projects that have been registered but whose supporting grid projects have not yet started construction, and existing projects agreed upon through consultation with grid enterprises are all considered new loads. In principle, new loads (including expansion parts of existing loads) and existing loads should not have direct electrical connections. 3. The European Commission approved a 4 billion euro special fund for electrolyzers, providing a 30% subsidy on equipment costs for projects with an annual capacity of ≥500 MW, and setting a 2030 target for electrolyzer efficiency in green hydrogen projects at ≥60% (LHV basis). Corporate Developments Plug Power : Faces a securities class action lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York, accused of making misleading disclosures to investors regarding the progress of a US Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee of $1.66 billion (approximately 12 billion yuan), exaggerating the likelihood of obtaining the loan and the project construction capabilities. In November 2025, Plug announced the suspension of the loan-related project, jeopardizing the loan and the plan for six hydrogen plants, leading to consecutive declines in its stock price. Transition Industries : Signed a long-term natural gas supply agreement with Mexico's CFEnergía, securing a daily supply of 160 million cubic feet of US gas for the Pacifico Mexinol ultra-low carbon methanol project in Mexico. This contract marks the final key commercial milestone for the project, which has a total investment of $3.3 billion and is expected to commence operation by the end of 2029 to early 2030, producing 2.15 million mt of ultra-low carbon methanol annually, making it the largest facility of its kind globally. Power2X : Dutch hydrogen-based synthetic fuel developer Power2X acquired green hydrogen enterprise HyCC, with the transaction valuation undisclosed. The acquisition adds five green hydrogen projects in the Netherlands and Germany, with a total developable scale of 1 GW, aiding the company in advancing its 250,000 mt per year green hydrogen-based SAF project in Rotterdam, marking its transition from project development to execution. Robert Bosch GmbH: Conducted workforce optimization in China, with the first round involving nearly 200 employees at the Wuxi plant's internal combustion engine and hydrogen fuel cell projects. This is an economic layoff, with the company offering N+4 compensation, exceeding the statutory standard. China Huadian Corporation Ltd. : Party Secretary and Chairman Jiang Yi held talks in Baotou with Chen Zhichang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Party Committee and Secretary of the Baotou Municipal Party Committee, and Meng Qingwei, Deputy Secretary of the Baotou Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, where both sides exchanged views on further deepening central-local cooperation. Hebei Province Baoding High-Tech Environment Technology Co., Ltd.: announced the winning bid result for the Baoding High-Tech Environment Technology Co., Ltd. Hydrogen-Powered Sanitation Vehicle Procurement Project. The winning bidder was Changsha Zoomlion Environment Industry Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 37.685 million yuan. Inner Mongolia Ebert Coal Technology Co., Ltd.: The hydrogen refueling, hydrogen swapping, charging and swapping integrated station at Plot 02-02C1 in the Airport Logistics Park was approved for construction by the Yijinhuoluo Banner Energy Bureau. The bid inviter is Inner Mongolia Ebert Coal Technology Co., Ltd., and the construction funds are self-raised. It is understood that this project is an integrated station for hydrogen refueling, hydrogen swapping, and charging. The hydrogen refueling station is classified as a Level III station with a hydrogen refueling capacity of 500 kg/d. The main facilities of the hydrogen refueling station include 1 unloading column, 2 units of 45 MPa hydrogen compressors, 1 unit of 90 MPa hydrogen compressor, 1 set of 45 MPa hydrogen storage cylinder bundle, 1 set of 90 MPa hydrogen storage cylinder bundle, 1 unit of HB5/H70 hydrogen refueling integrated machine, 3 units of compressor chiller units, 1 unit of hydrogen refueling machine chiller unit, 1 set of nitrogen cylinder bundle, 1 unit of nitrogen cabinet, 2 units of sequential control cabinets, 1 unit of heat exchanger, etc. The facilities for the hydrogen swapping and battery swapping station include 1 set of integrated hydrogen swapping and battery swapping skid, etc. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) disclosed patent CN2025110028, developing a ceramic-based anion exchange membrane with a laboratory test lifespan reaching 80,000 hours. 2. Johnson Matthey (UK) filed patent WO2025109876, disclosing a Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity close to platinum-based materials. Technology Footprints/Technical Specifications 1. The team of Liu Qingju from Yunnan University constructed a superwetting Pt/NF@CF graded heterojunction electrocatalyst for low-energy consumption and high-efficiency hydrogen production. 2. Teams from Hunan Normal University and Central South University (AM) revealed the effects of compressive strain and oxygen vacancies on iridium oxide in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. 3. Relevant research teams from the School of Electrical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Electrical Materials successfully developed a Ru/Ti3C2Ox@NF bifunctional seawater electrolysis electrocatalyst. 4. The group standard "Technical Specification for Wind-Solar-Storage Green Electricity Coupled Electrolysis Hydrogen Production" (Number T/CIEP 0272—2025) was released and implemented by the China Industrial Environmental Protection Promotion Association. Zhongneng Dayou Energy Technology Co., Ltd. successfully developed a 100 kW-level PEM electrolyzer hydrogen production multi-field coupling test equipment. 5. GKN Powder Metallurgy announced the development of a new generation of high-performance, high-porosity, high-purity porous transport layer (HP-PTL) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis.

On February 4, Foxconn's New Energy Vehicle R&D Center officially commenced operations in Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, Henan Province. The launch of this facility will assist Foxconn in building an efficient industrial ecosystem, reducing the new vehicle production cycle to 24 months. This also signifies that Foxconn has established comprehensive end-to-end capabilities, from product planning and platform development to vehicle manufacturing.

[SMM Hot Topic: From "Scale" to "Quality" – The Shift and Restructuring of Traditional Construction Steel Demand] From 2026 to 2030, the domestic demographic dividend will gradually shrink, and the era of rapid growth in the real estate industry will come to an end, with the industry's development logic shifting from scale expansion to quality improvement.

On June 14, GAC Trumpchi and Huawei officially launched the world’s first valet parking driving (VPD) pilot project at the departure level of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.