【SMM Steel】Energy-Intensive Consulting advocates for competitive energy pricing, trade defense, and decarbonization pathways for Italy's most energy-dependent industries. Green hydrogen costs €4-7/kg vs €1-2/kg for grey H₂, requiring policy support. Italy's industries also face high electricity prices, ETS costs not faced by competitors, and rising imports from countries with subsidies, lower energy costs, and lighter regulations.

Capacity side, according to incomplete statistics, China's alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW, the PEM electrolyzer market remained at 2.7 GW, with no new capacity additions for the time being. No offline public delivery information was available this week. Project-related updates: Guangdong Liquid Sunshine Green Energy Co., Ltd.: The company officially signed a memorandum of cooperation with Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technology, and East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd. in Hefei. The three parties will jointly advance the implementation of the 150,000 mt biomass green methanol demonstration project invested and constructed by Liquid Sunshine Green Energy in Tiandong County, Guangxi. Jiang Xi, Executive President of Liquid Sunshine Green Energy, Zhong Ling, General Manager of Johnson Matthey China, and Meng Chenzhou, General Manager of East China Engineering, completed the signing on behalf of their respective parties. Zhongneng Kehang (Baotou) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The annual 300 million m³ green electricity-to-hydrogen production project received filing approval. The project is located in Baotou City — Guyang County — Jinshan Economic Development Zone, Guyang County, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with a total investment of 500 million yuan. Construction scale and content: 18 new hydrogen production lines, office buildings, workshops, shift dormitories, etc. Planned construction period: 2026/08–2028/07. Guoneng Xinjiang Electric Power Co., Ltd.: In collaboration with the New Energy Research Institute, the company successfully completed China's first 660 MW coal-fired boiler hydrogen co-firing pilot test, achieving a maximum hydrogen blending ratio of 45%, marking a pilot-scale breakthrough in coal-hydrogen co-combustion and pure hydrogen combustion. Heilongjiang Jiayirongyuan Green Chemical Co., Ltd.: Jidong County, Jixi City held the groundbreaking ceremony and technical exchange conference for the 300,000 mt green hydrogen-methanol-aviation fuel chemical co-production project. The project is invested and constructed by Heilongjiang Jiayirongyuan Green Chemical Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Jiaze New Energy Co., Ltd., with a planned total investment of approximately 3.557 billion yuan. The core of the project is to build an annual 300,000 mt green methanol production site and establish a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sustainable development system. China Energy Engineering Overseas Investment Co., Ltd.: The commissioning ceremony for Central Asia's first AEM electrolysis hydrogen production research equipment was grandly held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, marking a substantive breakthrough in joint R&D and application demonstration of key green hydrogen technologies between China and Kazakhstan. The equipment was jointly developed by the Overseas Investment Company and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with the Overseas Investment Company also responsible for coordinating project investment and application scenario development. Leveraging advanced AEM electrolysis hydrogen production technology, the project demonstrates promising application prospects in improving hydrogen production efficiency and reducing system costs. Haiwang (Ningdong) New Materials Co., Ltd.: Its annual 5,000 mt carbazole project successfully completed trial production with feedstock. The project not only continuously produced high-grade products but also achieved batch delivery to multiple clients across different industries. It is understood that Haiwang (Ningdong) New Materials Co., Ltd. is a project jointly funded by Beijing Haiwang Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and Ningxia Ningdong Technology Venture Capital Co., Ltd. The company is located in the New Materials Park of Ningxia Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base, covering 65 mu of land, and construction of an annual 5,000 mt-class continuous carbazole production line has been completed. Zhongneng Jian Bochuang Green Fuel (Shenyang) Co., Ltd.: China's first 500,000 mt-class biomass green methanol-oil demonstration project — the Liaoning Shenyang 500,000 mt-class wind and solar power hydrogen production integrated with biomass green methanol-oil demonstration project — officially commenced construction. The demonstration project has a total investment of 32 billion yuan, fully leveraging the local unique resource advantages of "wind power + biomass," and is committed to building an annual 500,000 mt biomass green methanol-oil project, equipped with 2 GW centralized wind power, with an estimated annual biomass demand of approximately 3 million mt. It is understood that the project will be advanced in three phases. After Phase I completion, annual green methanol production of 100,000 mt will be achieved; after Phase II completion, annual green aviation fuel production of 300,000 mt will be achieved; after Phase III completion, annual green ammonia production of 100,000 mt will be achieved, at which point the overall capacity target of 500,000 mt-class green fuel will be fully met. Xindao Hydrogen Energy Technology (Baotou) Co., Ltd.: The company co-hosted an industry-academia-research cooperation signing ceremony with the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiangsu Xindao Energy Group, Xindao Hydrogen Energy Technology (Baotou) Co., Ltd. is actively engaged in the construction of a hydrogen-based green fuel off-grid green electricity direct-connection project, aiming to achieve annual targets of 1.485 billion kWh of green electricity, 291 million m³ of green hydrogen, and 200,000 mt of green methanol. The company is committed to promoting the commercialization and application of key technologies for "electricity-hydrogen-carbon" integrated high-efficiency balanced synergy, and has reached a cooperation agreement with a well-known South Korean shipping enterprise on long-term green methanol supply and sales. Policy Review 1. Notice of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government on Issuing the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. The document stated that hydrogen-related industrial clusters should be accelerated with a focus on Yulin, Xi'an, and other areas, building a full industry chain of hydrogen energy covering "production, storage, transportation, refueling, and utilization," reducing hydrogen production costs, and expanding hydrogen energy application scenarios. 2. Notice of the Guangzhou Municipal Administration and Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau on Issuing the Guidelines for Applying for Special Subsidies for Hydrogen Refueling Station Construction and Operation in Guangzhou. 3. The People's Government of the 8th Division Shihezi City of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps released the Administrative Measures for Hydrogen Energy Industry Development of the 8th Division Shihezi City (Trial) (Draft for Public Comments). The document stated that the safety management of hydrogen energy product production, storage, transportation, filling, and use within the administrative area of the Division and City shall be governed by these measures. Where other laws and administrative regulations provide otherwise, those provisions shall apply. Enterprise Updates Zibo Wangji Transportation Co., Ltd.: The first batch of 40 hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks were lined up and officially put into operation. These hydrogen heavy-duty trucks are all equipped with Guohong Hydrogen Energy's fuel cell systems and will primarily undertake trunk-line transportation of bulk materials such as ore powder, cement powder, and coal ash. Under typical conditions of a 100 km one-way trip with a full load of 40 mt, the vehicles can complete refueling in just 20 minutes using the supporting skid-mounted hydrogen refueling station. Sichuan Energy Investment Kuanzhai Green Supply Chain Co., Ltd.: The company released a competitive inquiry for the 2026–2027 comprehensive leasing service procurement project for five 49 mt hydrogen heavy-duty trucks. The tender announcement showed that the procurement covers comprehensive leasing services for five 49 mt hydrogen heavy-duty trucks (including tractor + semi-trailer + driving service + insurance + maintenance). Lease period: the contract term is one year in total, with the initial period of 3 months signed first, followed by contract renewals based on actual demand. This project does not accept consortium participation in the inquiry. Changsha Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology: The bureau released the transaction announcement for the hydrogen energy industry foundation and comprehensive application scenario research service project. The announcement showed that the Fifth Electronics Research Institute of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology successfully won the bid, with a winning amount of 192,000 yuan. Guangdong Yuntao Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : The company officially reached a sales agreement with Guangzhou Yue'ancheng Trading Co., Ltd., under which Yuntao Hydrogen Energy will deliver 100 hydrogen heavy-duty trucks to Yue'ancheng Trading. It is understood that the 100 dump trucks in this successful order came from the key account development department of Yuntao Hydrogen Energy's dump truck business division, and will comprehensively support Yue'ancheng Trading's core transportation operations. To meet its high-frequency, high-volume transportation needs, these vehicles are equipped with fuel cell systems independently developed by Yuntao Hydrogen Energy, featuring advantages such as a driving range of up to 400 km, hydrogen refueling time of no more than 15 minutes, peak power of 355 kW, and payload capacity exceeding 14 mt. Shanghai Hydrogen Maple Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The company officially issued a certification to CSSC 712 Research Institute, marking a key breakthrough in China's marine SOFC technology and entering a new stage of standardized and industrialized development. Suzhou Qingqiji Environmental Protection New Energy Co., Ltd.: Following its successful bid for the Sinopec Group Zhongtian Hechuang Ordos coal chemical project and securing the first batch order of 8 electrolyzers, the company won additional orders for the same project in subsequent months. Specifically, after the initial bid win, Qingqiji leveraged its strengths to secure an additional order of 8 alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production electrolyzers for the Zhongtian Hechuang project four months later, making it the supplier with the largest tied share (16 electrolyzers in total) in the project. It is understood that the Zhongtian Hechuang wind and solar power hydrogen production integration project is not only Sinopec Group's second large-scale renewable energy hydrogen production project globally, but also a landmark project in China's hydrogen energy sector. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University: The first AEM hydrogen production–magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage integrated system, independently developed by its Hydrogen Science Center, was officially commissioned in Kazakhstan. The system integrates two core technologies — efficient hydrogen production and safe hydrogen storage — achieving deep intelligent coupling of hydrogen production and storage. It employs non-precious metal, low-cost green electricity dynamic direct-connection hydrogen production and directly delivers hydrogen at low pressure to the magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage module, eliminating high-pressure compression and cryogenic liquefaction steps, pioneering a new pathway for large-scale green hydrogen applications. ITM Power Plc: UK electrolyzer producer ITM Power Plc (LON:ITM) secured government funding of £86.5 million ($115.8 million/€99.3 million). The funding includes national equity investment and grants, and will support the construction of a 1 GW production line for its next-generation Chronos electrolyzer stack. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) published 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 an Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity approaching that of platinum-based materials. Technology Footprint / Technical Specifications 1. The team led by Professor Yu Ying at Central China Normal University developed a three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructured catalytic electrode, a core part for seawater hydrogen production. 2. Dalian University of Technology designed an electron pump catalyst with an asymmetric photo-responsive structure, maintaining asymmetry in electron distribution. 3. A research team from the School of Electrical Engineering and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment at Xi'an Jiaotong University successfully developed a Ru/Ti₃C₂Oₓ@NF bifunctional electrocatalyst for seawater electrolysis. 4. Johnson Matthey and Syensqo achieved efficient recovery and recycling of platinum group metals and ionomers from PEM fuel cells and electrolyzers, significantly reducing the carbon footprint. 5. Teams from Xi'an Jiaotong University and Peking University jointly developed a novel osmium-based catalyst, significantly improving AEM water electrolysis hydrogen production efficiency and economics, facilitating large-scale low-cost green hydrogen production.

Stegra (formerly H2 Green Steel) announced on April 14, 2026, that it has reached a principal agreement for a €1.4 billion ($1.65 billion) financing round led by a Wallenberg Investments consortium. The funding ensures the continuation of construction for the world’s first large-scale green steel plant in Boden, Sweden, which utilizes green hydrogen instead of coking coal. While the original late-2025 deadline has passed, the new capital allows for a ramp-up of construction activities, with the project aiming to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 95% compared to traditional blast furnace production.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy News Brief] On April 9, the first AEM hydrogen production-magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage integrated system, independently developed by the Hydrogen Science Center of the School of Materials at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was officially put into operation in Kazakhstan. The system combines two core technologies — efficient hydrogen production and safe hydrogen storage — achieving deep intelligent coupling of hydrogen production and storage. It employs non-precious metal, low-cost green electricity dynamic direct-connection methods for hydrogen production and directly delivers hydrogen at low pressure to the magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage module, eliminating the need for high-pressure compression and cryogenic liquefaction, thereby pioneering a new pathway for the large-scale application of green hydrogen.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy News] On April 10, Jixi City in Heilongjiang Province held a significant event — the groundbreaking ceremony and technical exchange conference for the 300,000 mt green hydrogen-methanol-aviation fuel-chemical co-production project, which took place in Jidong County, Jixi City. It is understood that the project is invested and constructed by Heilongjiang Jiayirongyuan Green Chemical Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Jiaze New Energy Co., Ltd., with a planned total investment of approximately 3.557 billion yuan. The core of the project lies in building an annual 300,000 mt green methanol production site and establishing a sustainable development system for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

[SMM Hydrogen Energy News] On April 9, the inauguration ceremony for the first AEM water electrolysis hydrogen production research equipment in Central Asia was grandly held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, marking a substantive breakthrough in the joint R&D and application demonstration of key green hydrogen technologies between China and Kazakhstan. The equipment was jointly developed by Haitou Company and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with Haitou Company also responsible for coordinating and advancing the project's investment and application scenario development. Leveraging advanced AEM water electrolysis hydrogen production technology, the project demonstrated promising application prospects in improving hydrogen production efficiency and reducing system costs.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy News Brief] Recently, Xindao Hydrogen Energy Technology (Baotou) Co., Ltd. and the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology jointly held a signing ceremony for industry-university-research cooperation. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiangsu Xindao Energy Group, Xindao Hydrogen Energy Technology (Baotou) Co., Ltd. is actively engaged in the construction of a hydrogen-based green fuel off-grid green electricity direct-connection project, which aims to achieve annual production targets of 1.485 billion kWh of green electricity, 291 million cubic meters of green hydrogen, and 200,000 mt of green methanol. The company is committed to promoting the commercialization and application of key technologies for efficient, balanced, and synergistic "electricity-hydrogen-carbon" integration, and has reached a cooperation agreement with a well-known South Korean shipping enterprise on the long-term supply and sales of green methanol.

The African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has launched a call for proposals for its new green hydrogen program, providing up to USD 20 million in pre-investment support for private-sector projects across Africa. Capitalized by the German government, the facility offers reimbursable grants to three to five top-tier projects to cover feasibility studies and engineering designs, specifically aiming to help these developments reach final investment decision (FID) or financial close. The application window opened on April 10, 2026, and will remain active until May 11, 2026, representing a strategic effort to accelerate the deployment of green hydrogen and its derivatives across the continent.

Australian engineering firm Worley Ltd has been awarded the front-end engineering and design FEED contract for the RjukanLH2 project, set to be the Nordic regions inaugural liquid green hydrogen facility in Norway. Led by Norwegian Hydrogen AS, the 25-MW plant is designed to produce 10 tonnes of liquid hydrogen per day using renewable electricity and next-generation modular alkaline electrolysers to serve the maritime and industrial sectors. The agreement includes an exclusive option for EPC services, with the execution phase slated to commence in the second half of 2026 and initial fuel deliveries targeted for 2028. Logistics giant Samskip has already been secured as an off-taker for the project.

A new 10,000-tonne-per-year acrylic acid project using green hydrogen has been officially filed for record on April 9. The project will be located in Jiuyuan District, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is sponsored by Guangdong Lianyue Hydrogen Energy Co., Ltd., with a total investment of 1.4 billion yuan. Under this project, acrylic acid will be produced through a multi-step process: CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol, methanol oxidation to formaldehyde, and catalytic synthesis of formaldehyde with acetic acid to form acrylic acid. High-purity acrylic acid products with a purity of over 99.5% will be obtained via rectification, meeting the refined acrylic acid specifications specified in Industrial Acrylic Acid and Esters (GB/T 17529.1-2023). The project scope includes a CO₂ capture system, methanol synthesis unit, formaldehyde synthesis unit, acrylic acid synthesis unit, supporting public utilities, and one office building. Construction is scheduled to run from March 2026 to July 2027.