China has officially approved five city clusters for comprehensive hydrogen energy application pilots, with the Xinjiang-Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone cluster receiving the green light for a four-year demonstration period. This national initiative marks a significant step in advancing the country's hydrogen energy commercialization strategy.
Within this framework, Chengdu, Deyang, and Panzhihua have been selected as core members of the pilot cluster, taking on pivotal responsibilities including promoting hydrogen fuel cell vehicle adoption, tackling key technology equipment challenges, and driving innovative application scenarios. Additionally, Nanchong and Liangshan will contribute as collaborative cities, leveraging their regional strengths to support liquid hydrogen demonstrations and green ammonia-methanol pilot projects.
The 15th Five-Year Plan identifies hydrogen energy as one of China's strategic future industries. In March of this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission launched the hydrogen energy comprehensive application pilot work. Through a competitive "open competition" mechanism, the three departments selected city clusters with robust industrial foundations, diverse application scenarios, strong hydrogen resource guarantees, and complete supply chain ecosystems to explore viable pathways for hydrogen energy commercialization in a scientific and orderly manner.
The central government will provide incentive-based financial support through a "rewards instead of subsidies" approach, with individual city clusters eligible for up to 1.6 billion yuan in reward funds throughout the pilot period. This financial backing is designed to improve the policy environment for industry development and promote integrated advancement across the entire hydrogen "production, storage, transportation, and utilization" value chain.
Sichuan Province has emerged as a national leader in hydrogen energy, being one of the few regions possessing both abundant green hydrogen resources and comprehensive industrial chain coverage. The province has adopted a strategy centered on key industry chain development and scenario-based applications, fostering a coordinated growth pattern radiating from Chengdu to other cities including Panzhihua, Deyang, and Nanchong.
The province has cultivated several "chain leader" enterprises, including Dongfang Electric and Houny Group, which have attracted and united over 100 upstream and downstream enterprises and research institutions. Notable achievements include establishing the Chengdu-Chongqing "Hydrogen Corridor" and other green hydrogen routes such as the Panxi-Ya-Cheng and Chengdu-Mianyang-Guangyuan pathways. To date, Sichuan has deployed 1,746 hydrogen-powered vehicles and built 25 hydrogen refueling stations, achieving the largest demonstration scale in western China.
According to officials from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology, the province will maintain its cluster-based development approach, using the pilot opportunity to accelerate technological innovation. Key projects will focus on photocatalytic water-splitting hydrogen production, multi-energy co-supply systems, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle industrialization efforts. Additionally, Sichuan plans to strategically expand hydrogen refueling infrastructure and extend its hydrogen corridors, consolidating its leadership in hydrogen transportation while developing new demonstration scenarios in hydrogen-based chemicals, hydrogen-powered drones, and hydrogen-fueled locomotives. These multi-scenario, large-scale applications are expected to drive cost reduction, efficiency improvements, and innovative development across the entire hydrogen industry chain.