China has announced plans to build four "hydrogen corridors" by 2021 to further encourage and promote the use of hydrogen energy. The project will be placed in the Yangtze River Delta region along with major expressway networks. China plans to also add a number of hydrogenation facilities within the different cities in the region.
Following the announcement of the project, share prices for hydrogen-related firms on the A-share market jumped. Among the biggest winners were HuaqiHoupu Group and Taiyuan Chemical Industry Co Ltd. Both companies saw increases well above the 10 percent daily limit.
According to a plan released by the China Society of Automotive Engineers (CSAE), the four corridors will essentially link the different cities in the River Delta and make it easier for hydrogen-powered vehicle users to travel between them. The cities will include Shanghai, Huzhou, Nantong, Ningbo, Rugao, Jiaxing, and Zhangjiagang. All of the cities that will be interconnected have also respectively been promoting the use of fuel cell and hydrogen vehicles through different legislation and infrastructure projects.
China's Hydrogen Corridor Development Plan in the Yangtze River Delta Region will include a total of 40 hydrogen refueling stations that are slated for completion by 2021. The stations will be placed along major expressways, including the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway, the Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway, the Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, and the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway.
China reportedly sees the project in the Yangtze River Delta region as a jumping off point to further develop the technology for the rest of the country. China currently has a well-developed hydrogenation infrastructure and an abundant amount of hydrogen resources. However, hydrogen economy development is still lacking in terms of the cooperation between the different cities.
According to the chief information officer of China Energy Net Consulting, Han Xiaoping, hydrogen technology does provide a lot of potential for China's power needs. Shifting to sustainable power sources is also in line with the country's goal of a cleaner and greener energy sector. This will, of course, have an international impact as well given that China is the world's largest energy producer and consumer.
The planned hydrogen corridor on the Yangtze River Delta region will reportedly be the first of many similar projects along with the country's different expressway networks.
Reports have revealed that China plans to build 10 additional corridors by 2025 and as many as 20 by 2030. This should give both consumers and manufacturers added incentives to switch to the greener option. The project is aimed at developing the country's economic belt, which hopefully will no longer be relying on fossil fuels.
