At the recent Fourth Western Hydrogen Expo in Yulin, Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy Industry Development Co., Ltd. (Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy) signed a project cooperation framework agreement with Guazhou County in Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, marking the company's formal entry into the Gansu market. This move comes after the company had already established a comprehensive industry chain layout in Shaanxi, a traditional energy powerhouse. As a provincial-level state-owned hydrogen energy chain leader directly managed by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Shaanxi Province, the company has shouldered the mission of building a 100-billion-yuan hydrogen industry cluster and driving the green transformation of northern Shaanxi's traditional energy base since its inception. From a blueprint drawn to completion to a wave of projects rising from the ground, from breakthroughs in technological research to the implementation of demonstration scenarios, the company has set its sights on "taking root in Yulin, developing Shaanxi, radiating across the northwest, and advancing nationwide," while working to fully integrate the entire hydrogen industry chain covering production, storage, transportation, refueling, and application.

Complete Hydrogen Industry Chain Ecosystem Takes Shape

Historical data shows that Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy was officially established in Yulin on December 31, 2022, with a registered capital of 2.283 billion yuan. Although China's hydrogen industry was still in its demonstration and exploration phase at the time, the company made a bold and high-profile start. "The country has placed the development of new quality productive forces and the advancement of the energy revolution in a prominent position. As a major national energy base, Shaanxi faces an urgent need for the transformation and upgrading of its traditional energy and chemical industries. Developing hydrogen energy is the mission entrusted to us as a provincial state-owned enterprise by the times," said Huang Ye, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy. He noted that from the very beginning, the company established a high-standard approach, not simply acting as a project "porter" but as a creator of the entire industry chain, leveraging Shaanxi's resource advantages to forge a distinctive path for resource-based provinces to develop hydrogen energy. Within just a few years, the company rapidly assembled a professional team and established multiple wholly-owned and controlled subsidiaries, as well as regional task forces in areas such as Shaanxi-Inner Mongolia Green Hydrogen, Shenmu, Yan'an, and Baoji, gradually completing the "four beams and eight pillars" of Shaanxi's hydrogen industry. To date, the country's first fully automated solid oxide fuel cell stack production line has been put into operation, the western region's first Type IV high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinder production line has come offline, and a 50-standard-cubic-meter high-temperature electrolysis hydrogen production skid-mounted unit has been successfully launched, achieving a breakthrough in independent manufacturing of core equipment. On the application front, 70 hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks are operating between mining areas and industrial parks in Yulin, having accumulated over 2.4 million kilometers and reducing carbon emissions by 1,650 tons. The Kunlun Jinjitan hydrogen refueling station and Shuanghe skid-mounted refueling station have been completed and put into operation. Meanwhile, the Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy Quality and Technology Innovation Base has commenced operations, the provincial hydrogen cloud service platform has entered trial operation, and the province's first modular containerized integrated hydrogen energy utilization project has completed full-process commissioning, filling the gap in comprehensive hydrogen application demonstrations in the northwest region.

It is understood that Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy is anchored to a full-industry-chain strategy, implementing an "one body, two wings, four supports" industrial path and establishing a "1+11" industry planning system. It balances two key application directions—industrial green hydrogen and transportation hydrogen—while simultaneously advancing technology R&D, industrial investment, equipment manufacturing, and standards development. Six major business segments are progressing in tandem: hydrogen technology, hydrogen production, hydrogen equipment, hydrogen applications, hydrogen services, and hydrogen finance. In the technology sector, the Qin Chuang Yuan New Energy Innovation Center in Xixian New Area integrates R&D, results commercialization, enterprise incubation, and talent cultivation. The Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy Quality and Technology Innovation Base in Xianyang High-tech Zone is striving to become a national-level market supervision technology innovation center for hydrogen and a western inspection and testing center for hydrogen-related equipment. Multiple R&D hubs have been established, including the Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy-Xi'an Jiaotong University Joint Laboratory, the Xi'an Jiaotong University-Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy-Serbia Vinca Institute International Joint Laboratory, and the Yulin Hydrogen Energy Laboratory, all focusing on frontier areas such as low-platinum catalysts and new hydrogen storage materials. Additionally, as the core hub for scientific innovation, the Shaanxi Hydrogen Research Institute has filed 90 patent applications, received 44 patent grants, and led or participated in the development of multiple national, local, and industry standards, continuously exporting research outcomes to the industry.

Green hydrogen supply serves as the foundation of industrial development. The hydrogen production segment is pursuing a "two-track approach" combining wind/solar green hydrogen with industrial by-product hydrogen. In the Yuheng Industrial Park, the Yulin Zero-Carbon Industrial Park Hydrogen Production Demonstration Project—the country's first large-scale green hydrogen application scenario integrating multiple technologies—is accelerating construction, incorporating ALK, PEM, and SOEC electrolysis technology routes. The Shaanxi-Inner Mongolia million-ton green hydrogen base and hydrogen pipeline project, spanning Yulin and Ordos, has drawn significant attention, with the first phase's 164.3-kilometer pipeline included in both national and provincial "15th Five-Year Plan" frameworks. The Shenmu project is tapping into blue-coke tail gas and organic waste resources to explore efficient use of industrial by-product hydrogen. At the same time, supporting new energy projects—including solar power in Yuyang, wind power in Fugu, energy storage in Luochuan, and natural gas comprehensive utilization in Zhidan—are advancing rapidly, building a complete "new energy + storage + hydrogen production" supply chain. Moreover, the Shaanxi Provincial Hydrogen Energy Standardization Technical Committee has been established within the company, compiling the "Guidelines for Building Shaanxi's Hydrogen Energy Standards System" and approving the local standard "Design Code for Integrated Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production and Refueling Stations," providing robust support for the industry through testing, standards, and digitalization. Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy Hydrogen Ling Investment Co., Ltd. serves as the professional capital platform, implementing a "one platform, one window, one center" positioning. It has established a framework for a 3-billion-yuan hydrogen industry fund and flexibly utilizes various financial instruments to channel social capital into the hydrogen sector, fueling project construction across the entire chain. Today, multiple task forces in Yan'an, Baoji, Shenmu, Qinlong, and Shaanxi-Inner Mongolia Green Hydrogen are simultaneously advancing regional project planning, creating a diversified project matrix that fosters deep integration between hydrogen energy and Shaanxi's traditional energy and chemical industries, allowing the old energy base to continuously cultivate new green productive forces.

According to reports, during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period (2026–2030), Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy will adhere to a "hydrogen-core, electricity-hydrogen synergy, foundation strengthening, and application expansion" pan-hydrogen development strategy. The company aims to build a comprehensive industrial ecosystem covering green power, hydrogen production, storage and transportation, refueling, diverse application scenarios, and equipment manufacturing. Its goals include achieving total industry chain investment of 60 billion yuan, total company assets exceeding 60 billion yuan, steadily advancing the listing of one to two subsidiary companies, reaching annual hydrogen production capacity of over 300,000 tons, establishing a provincial hydrogen pipeline network exceeding 100 kilometers, achieving cumulative carbon dioxide emission reductions of approximately 8 million tons, and building a benchmark pan-hydrogen enterprise with complete business structure, outstanding advantages, and strong competitiveness.

Accelerating Western Expansion

Recently, in the Yuheng Industrial Park of Yulin, numerous research institutes and hydrogen enterprises have been frequently visiting a project nearing completion. "Almost every day, business representatives come to discuss technology and production cooperation in new application scenarios," said Zhao Wei, General Manager of Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy Green Source Technology Co., Ltd. The project Zhao referred to is the renewable energy hydrogen production coupled with Yulin coal chemical system integration and application scenario demonstration project. It aims to achieve large-scale green hydrogen production through multiple technology routes while establishing a cross-regional green hydrogen supply system, connecting the entire chain from green hydrogen production and storage to end-use applications, and promoting low-carbon transformation of the coal chemical industry, green transportation replacement, and coordinated application across hydrogen-based green fuel scenarios. "Thanks to Shaanxi's hydrogen industry layout and related policies, the project has progressed smoothly in terms of preliminary procedures and resource guarantees. Wind and solar resources, land resources, and mine depleted water have all been secured, and we've also obtained policy-based loan support, fully ensuring scenario construction," Zhao said. Given Yulin's significant energy industry advantages and high demand for low-carbon transformation, the project holds typical demonstration value for the region. "As an integrated scenario in the industry, the project will drive equipment manufacturing, promote the development of hydrogen storage, transportation, refueling, and technical services, attract research institutions and enterprises to conduct research and commercialize results, and bring in related industrial investment," Zhao added. He noted that the core outcomes—including process technologies, standardized operating models, and intelligent dispatch platforms—can be rapidly promoted to similar regions across the country.

In fact, Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy has already begun its western expansion. On September 13, at the Fourth Western Hydrogen Expo held in Yulin, Shaanxi, the company signed the project cooperation framework agreement with Guazhou County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, marking its entry into the Gansu market. Industry insiders noted that this move into Guazhou County is also a concrete step toward fulfilling the company's goal of "taking root in Yulin, developing Shaanxi, radiating across the northwest, and advancing nationwide." Prior to this, the company had already laid groundwork in Inner Mongolia, with multiple projects now entering the implementation and deepening cooperation stages, primarily focused on green hydrogen production and hydrogen pipeline transportation. For example, the company has signed the Wushen Banner 3GW Green Hydrogen Pipeline Corridor Project in Inner Mongolia, with planned investment of 1.17 billion yuan, leveraging local green power resources for large-scale green hydrogen production and addressing supply challenges through a cross-provincial transmission pipeline. Additionally, the first phase (Inner Mongolia section) of the Ordos 30GW new energy green hydrogen pipeline project, with total investment of approximately 449 million yuan, has entered the environmental impact assessment public review stage. Furthermore, Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy has already engaged with Baotou and Bayannur cities regarding potential project implementation in those areas.