Latest Development of Hydrogen Energy Industry in Shenzhen
2024-06-14
| Policy Research and Advocacy Team, Friends of the Earth (HK)
A
leading Chinese city in peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon
neutrality; Shenzhen is promoting innovation in the hydrogen energy industry
heavily, striving to make new breakthroughs by 2025. Recently, the Shenzhen
Municipal People's Government released the "Shenzhen Hydrogen Energy Industry
Innovation and Development Action Plan (2024-2025),” which outlined a clear roadmap
for the future of the city’s hydrogen energy industry.
According
to the Action Plan, Shenzhen aims to promote innovation in the hydrogen energy
industry, establish a green and low-carbon industrial system, and build
momentum for economic development, positioning the city as a hub for hydrogen energy
industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The industry will
continue to expand throughout 2025, increasing innovative capabilities and establishing
globally-competitive enterprises. The core competency of the entire industry
chain will steadily enhance.
3 Main Types of Hydrogen Fuel (Image source:
POSCO NEWSROOM)
To
realise the aforementioned goals, the Action Plan specifies four major tasks:
1.Build
a core technology strategy source for the hydrogen economy
a) Accelerate research and development of key hydrogen
technologies, including high-performance membrane materials and catalysts for
fuel cells, as well as technologies to improve hydrogen production, storage and
transportation.
b) Establish a diversified and multi-level
innovation carrier, supporting higher education institutions and enterprises to
build key laboratories, proof-of-concept centres and industry innovation centres,
with funding support of up to $10 million yuan.
c) Establish standards for hydrogen energy. Support
enterprises and research institutes in developing standards on hydrogen energy
quality and safety, as well as hydrogen production, storage and application.
2.Build
an advanced manufacturing agglomeration for the hydrogen energy industry
a) Build the hydrogen energy industrial park, leveraging
on experience from the existing Longhua Qiuyuling Hydrogen Energy Industrial
Park, Yantian International Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park, and Longgang
International Low Carbon City and focusing on fields such as fuel cells,
hydrogen production, and storage. Introduce upstream and downstream enterprises
and high-end R&D teams to the industrial chain, and carry out pilots of
technologies.
b) Support enterprises in accelerating R&D and
industrialisation of key core components, and build pilot bases and production
lines, with a funding support of up to $10-15 million yuan.
c) Cultivate high-quality hydrogen energy
enterprises, encourage collaboration among upstream and downstream enterprises,
utilise diverse platforms to draw investment and capital, and attract high-quality
innovative hydrogen energy enterprises and key industrial projects.
Yantian International Hydrogen Energy
Industrial Park (Image source: sznews.com)
3. Build a demonstration base for
hydrogen energy applications in multiple scenarios
a) Promote pilots of hydrogen energy in heavy-duty
and long-distance transportation, and provide subsidies for eligible fuel cell
vehicles.
b) Carry out hydrogen energy pilots in different
applications and fields actively, such as green buildings, industrial parks,
large-scale data centers, and in technologies like fuel cell backup power
supplies and cogeneration. Encourage R&D and piloting of hydrogen-powered
ships, drones in the fields of tourism, freight transport and fire rescue.
World's First Liquid Hydrogen-Powered Vessel
(Image source: FuelCellsWorks)
4. Build
a supporting service system for the hydrogen energy industry
a) Accelerate the planning of hydrogen refueling
stations. Promote the transformation and expansion of eligible existing and new
gas stations with hydrogen refueling capacity
b) Improve mechanism for building and operating
hydrogen refueling stations, clarifying the division of responsibilities among
various departments with respect to hazardous chemicals management, land
planning permits, construction project planning permits, fire design reviews, construction
permit approval, completion acceptance of lightning protection devices, etc.
c) Reduce the cost of hydrogen gradually. Encourage
power plants to use surplus power generation capacity during off-peak periods
to generate hydrogen using water electrolysis.
d) Improve the construction of an integrated
hydrogen transportation network. Focus on the development of high-pressure
gaseous hydrogen storage and diversifying hydrogen transportation modes.
Hydrogen refueling station in China (Image
source: Mobility Plaza)
Shenzhen
has a promising future in the hydrogen energy industry. The Action Plan will lead
to new heights for Shenzhen, contributing to the goal of carbon neutrality. The
Environment and Ecology Bureau will release the "Strategy of Hydrogen Development
in Hong Kong” at the end of this month, which will be vital for promoting the wider
application of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong. The Government should capitalise
on this opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Shenzhen in the development
of the hydrogen energy industry. They should also leverage mainland China’s solid
industrial foundation and policy support to promote the innovative development
of hydrogen energy industry in Guangdong and Hong Kong.