Regions join forces to advance hydrogen energy demonstration cluster

A work conference marking the launch of the Yellow River bend–central plains hydrogen energy comprehensive application demonstration cluster was held on Oct 26 in Ordos city, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, ushering in full implementation of the initiative.

Spanning Inner Mongolia, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hubei, and Ningxia, the cluster covers 12 cities and leagues and adopts a dual-leadership model with Ordos and Zhengzhou as the two lead cities, combining their strengths to advance hydrogen energy applications across industrial and transportation sectors.

Ordos will focus on industrial applications, including large-scale green hydrogen production, substituting hydrogen-based chemical feedstocks, green ammonia and methanol, hydrogen-enriched combustion, and hydrogen metallurgy.

Zhengzhou will lead efforts to promote hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, develop innovative applications, and advance key technologies and equipment, while coordinating the development of regional hydrogen corridors.

Over the four-year pilot period, the cluster plans to launch 28 industrial demonstration projects, promote 2,500 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and build 32 new hydrogen refueling stations.

It will also expand hydrogen applications in rail transport, aviation, material handling, and energy storage, creating an integrated hydrogen energy demonstration model driven by both industrial uses and fuel cell transportation.

By the end of the pilot period, average end-user hydrogen prices are targeted at no more than 20 yuan ($2.99) per kilogram for industrial applications and 25 yuan per kilogram for vehicles.