Sichuan all in on hydrogen energy

Hydrogen energy companies in Sichuan province are ramping up efforts to promote the research and development, production and application of the industry, aligning with the province's goal to further develop the sector's industry chain.

A hydrogen energy equipment industrial park project invested by Jinxing Group Co Ltd, a Sichuan-based clean-energy equipment supplier, is set to start construction in October in the Meishan zone of Sichuan Tianfu New Area, aiming to become the country's largest hydrogen energy equipment manufacturing base, said Gan Xinwei, assistant to the company's president.

With an investment of 1 billion yuan ($139.4 million), the park will have an annual production capacity of more than 200 sets of hydrogen energy equipment, Gan said.

"After it becomes fully operational before October 2027, the park will have a workforce of more than 500 R&D personnel and industrial workers," he added.

Gan said the company also plans to establish a national-level hydrogen energy equipment research and testing center and a branch of a Sichuan provincial-level hydrogen energy equipment industry innovation center in the park.

"We are currently taking the lead in establishing the innovation center, to provide a solid technical support and innovation platform for the development of the province's hydrogen energy sector. It will bring together top resources and talent in the industry all dedicated to the R&D of its key common technologies, research achievement transformation and standards formulation," he said.

The company will also explore the application of hydrogen-powered vehicles and natural gas blending with hydrogen in Meishan, striving to make it a pilot project in the province, Gan said, adding that, "Our ultimate goal is to use the project as a platform to build the country's largest hydrogen energy demonstration base that integrates research and development, production and application."

Sichuan has seen a boom in the hydrogen energy sector in recent years. Statistics from the provincial government show that it is home to more than 100 companies and research institutes involved in the industry, covering the entire process of hydrogen production, storage, transportation, filling and utilization.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of hydrogen energy application scenarios are being implemented in Sichuan, thanks to favorable local policies.

A hydrogen-powered smart tram, assembled at China Railway Rolling Stock Corp's rail transit industrial base in the province's Yibin, was put into service on the city's T1 smart tram line earlier this month, according to the city government.

Hydrogen-powered shared bicycles developed by Chengdu-based Qinglv Tech are also about to officially enter the market soon, said Yang Kun, the company's general manager.

Yang said this product has also received orders from overseas markets. "Clients from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia have ordered thousands of them. If the trial operation goes well, they will increase the orders to tens of thousands," he said.