Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for New-Type Power System Development, setting out systematic plans for the construction of new-type power systems and explicitly proposing to promote the coordinated linkage of thermal, electric, and other energy sources, further expanding the application space of hydrogen energy in the power and industrial sectors.
According to the plan, it is expected to encourage the promotion of combined heat and power units to achieve heat-power decoupling through molten salt heat storage, hot water heat storage, and other methods, support the adoption of advanced thermal-electric conversion technologies such as high-parameter heat pumps, and simultaneously explore the application of technologies including phase-change heat storage, solid heat storage, and high-temperature heat storage, so as to enhance multi-energy joint operation levels and flexible regulation capabilities.
In the hydrogen energy sector, the plan proposes expanding application scenarios such as green electricity-to-hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol production, hydrogen energy storage, hydrogen power generation, and hydrogen (or ammonia) co-firing in thermal power. Relevant deployments will further align renewable energy hydrogen production with the regulation needs of the power system, providing a clearer development direction for hydrogen in energy storage, power generation, and the low-carbon transformation of traditional energy sources.
The release of the plan signifies that hydrogen energy will no longer be confined to transportation or single industrial uses but will accelerate its integration into the construction of new-type power systems. As scenarios such as green electricity-to-hydrogen, hydrogen energy storage, and hydrogen co-firing power generation gradually expand, the role of hydrogen in promoting renewable energy consumption, enhancing power system flexibility, and driving the green transformation of the energy structure is expected to strengthen further.
