SMM Hydrogen Energy Industry Weekly Review 20250417

I. Policy Review
1. China: Subsidies for Hydrogen Refueling Station Construction Increased
On April 12, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released the "Special Plan for Hydrogen Infrastructure (2025-2030)", which clearly provides a maximum of 30% financial subsidy for newly built hydrogen refueling stations (the subsidy cap for a single station is raised to 5 million yuan), and simplifies the land approval process. The policy emphasizes the key layout of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta regions, promoting the construction of a "hydrogen highway" network.
At the local level, Foshan City in Guangdong Province announced a subsidy of 0.2 yuan per kilometer for enterprises operating hydrogen fuel cell logistics vehicles, further promoting commercial applications.

2. EU: Green Hydrogen Certification Standards Upgraded
On April 14, the European Commission passed the revised "Renewable Energy Directive" (RED III), requiring imported green hydrogen to meet a life cycle carbon emission of ≤3 kg CO₂/kg H₂, and introducing blockchain technology to track the origin of green hydrogen. This policy is seen as a key measure for the EU to address "hydrogen trade barriers".

3. US: IRA Tax Credit Details Finalized
On April 15, the US Department of Energy (DOE) released the "Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit Implementation Rules", clarifying that electrolyzer equipment with a localization rate of over 50% can enjoy a tax credit of $3/kg, and allows sharing tax incentives with Canada and Mexico to promote the integration of the North American hydrogen supply chain.

II. Corporate Developments
1. Sinopec: World's Largest PV Hydrogen Production Project Put into Operation
On April 11, Sinopec announced the full operation of the second phase of the Kuqa PV hydrogen production project in Xinjiang, with an annual production of 20,000 mt of green hydrogen, supporting the construction of 30 hydrogen refueling stations, with a total investment of 5 billion yuan. The project is the first to adopt the "wind and solar power complementarity + off-grid hydrogen production" technology, achieving zero carbon emissions throughout the entire process.

2. France's Total: Plans for Liquid Hydrogen Transport Ship
On April 13, Total signed an agreement with the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, planning to invest 800 million euros to build the world's first liquid hydrogen transport ship, with a designed capacity of 50 mt per voyage, aiming to serve green hydrogen trade between Europe and Australia.

3. National Energy Group: Leads the Establishment of Hydrogen Aviation Alliance
On April 16, the National Energy Group, together with COMAC and Yihuatong, established the "Hydrogen Aviation Innovation Consortium", announcing the launch of a domestic hydrogen fuel cell regional aircraft R&D project, with the first flight planned to be completed by 2030.

III. Technological Advancements
1. Breakthrough in High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane
On April 12, Germany's BASF and Japan's Toray jointly announced the successful development of a high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) that can withstand temperatures up to 150℃, which can increase the operating temperature of fuel cells to -30℃~120℃, improving cold start efficiency by 40%, and is expected to be mass-produced by 2026.

2. Commercialization of Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Materials
On April 15, China's CORUN Group released the "Titanium-Iron-Based Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Tank" product, with a hydrogen storage density of 50 kg/m³ and a cycle life of over 10,000 times, which has passed EU CE certification. This technology can be adapted for commercial vehicles and distributed power generation scenarios.

3. Alkaline Electrolyzer Efficiency Sets New Record
On April 17, the Netherlands' McPhy announced that the current density of its 10 MW alkaline electrolyzer has been increased to 0.8 A/cm², with an efficiency of 78% (LHV), and a cost reduction of 30% compared to the previous generation, suitable for offshore wind power hydrogen production scenarios.

IV. Industry Collaboration
1. Deep Cooperation Between Energy and Automakers
On April 12, Saudi Aramco and Hyundai Motor signed an agreement to jointly build a "green hydrogen-ammonia-fuel cell" integrated base in the Middle East, producing hydrogen-powered heavy trucks and supporting refueling facilities, and exploring the large-scale application of ammonia as a storage and transportation intermediate.

2. Research Institutions and Enterprises Jointly Establish Laboratory
On April 14, Tsinghua University and France's Air Liquide jointly established the "Hydrogen Energy Materials Joint Laboratory", focusing on the R&D of solid-state hydrogen storage and electrolyzer catalysts, planning to incubate 3 patented technologies within 5 years.

3. Green Hydrogen Transportation Cooperation Between China, Japan, and South Korea Launched
On April 16, the energy departments of the three countries signed the "Northeast Asia Hydrogen Corridor Memorandum of Understanding", planning to use wind and solar power resources in Inner Mongolia, China to produce hydrogen, which will be liquefied and transported by ship to Japan and South Korea, with the first phase target of achieving an annual supply of 500,000 mt by 2030.