[SMM Hydrogen Energy Policy Express] National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of Fujian Province: Interpretation of the "Medium and Long-Term Plan for Innovative Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry in Fujian Province (2025-2035)"

To implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, accelerate the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry in Fujian Province, and foster a new growth engine for the new energy industry, the "Medium and Long-Term Plan for Innovative Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry in Fujian Province (2025-2035)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Hydrogen Energy Plan") has been formulated. The relevant policy contents are interpreted as follows:

I. Background and Basis

Hydrogen energy is a secondary energy source that is abundant, green, low-carbon, and widely applicable. It is of great significance for building a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy system and achieving the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. The national "Medium and Long-Term Plan for the Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)" has clarified that the hydrogen energy industry is an important component of the future national energy system and a key development direction for strategic emerging industries and future industries. On January 1, 2025, China's first "Energy Law of the People's Republic of China" came into effect, officially incorporating hydrogen energy into the energy management system. Hydrogen energy will become an important carrier for achieving green and low-carbon transformation in energy-consuming terminals and a key development direction for strategic emerging industries and future industries.

The hydrogen energy industry in Fujian Province is currently still in its infancy. However, it boasts abundant industrial by-product hydrogen resources, has cultivated and established a number of innovation platforms, and formed a batch of technological reserves, laying a certain foundation for industrial development. To promote the standardized and orderly development of the industry, our commission organized teams to conduct in-depth visits to key hydrogen energy enterprises and industrial parks both within and outside the province, extensively listened to industry opinions, strengthened sorting and research, and formulated the "Hydrogen Energy Plan" in light of the actual industrial development situation. This plan is of great significance for coordinating the development layout of the hydrogen energy industry, building a clean and low-carbon energy system, and supporting the development of the hydrogen energy industry in various regions.

II. Main Contents

(I) Development Tasks

The "Hydrogen Energy Plan" proposes two-stage development tasks for the hydrogen energy industry in Fujian Province: First, from 2025 to 2030, which is the initial development period, more than 10 high-level innovation platforms will be established, 1-3 100-MW-level demonstration projects for green electricity-based hydrogen production will be cultivated, 1-3 pilot demonstration projects for hydrogen-based green ship fuel bunkering ports will be completed, 50 hydrogen refueling stations of various types will be constructed, 10 operational demonstration lines will be created in ports, industrial parks, or urban areas, the annual production of fuel cell vehicles will reach 6,000 units, and large-scale commercial applications of hydrogen energy will be realized. Efforts will be made to achieve an annual green hydrogen production capacity of 30,000 mt, an annual hydrogen-based green fuel production capacity of 100,000 mt, and an annual total output value of the hydrogen energy industry exceeding 60 billion yuan. Second, from 2030 to 2035, which is the period of rapid advancement, an annual green hydrogen production capacity of 100,000 mt and an annual hydrogen-based green fuel production capacity of 1 million mt will be formed. Green hydrogen will account for more than 40% of the hydrogen sources in Fujian Province. An important green hydrogen and hydrogen-based green fuel supply base, transportation hub, and bunkering center on the southeast coast will be established. An industrial system covering multiple application scenarios such as transportation, energy storage, and industry will be formed, with an annual total output value exceeding 300 billion yuan.

(II) Development Pathway and Industrial Layout

Centering on the "production-storage-transportation-refueling-application" entire industry chain, the Hydrogen Energy Plan further clarifies the industrial development pathway: First, on the production side, industrial by-product hydrogen will dominate nearby supply in the near term, with deepened industrialisation applications in sectors like steel, coal, and chemicals to drive traditional industry transformation and upgrade, achieving 100-billion-yuan major petrochemical project industry chain extension. In the medium to long term, proactive guidance will be given to utilize wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources for hydrogen production, gradually reducing costs and scaling up production. Second, on the storage and transportation side, priority will be given to developing high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage and tube trailer transportation; advancing the distinctive technical route using ammonia as a hydrogen storage medium to achieve large-scale, long-distance transport; supporting organic liquid hydrogen storage, solid hydrogen storage, and related materials and equipment manufacturing. Third, on the refueling side, hydrogen infrastructure will be constructed, primarily featuring integrated hydrogen refueling stations; dedicated stations for logistics, ports, industrial parks, and sanitation will be prioritized. Fourth, on the application side, comprehensive hydrogen applications will be explored in sectors like chemicals, metallurgy, transportation, and ESS, alongside active exploration of the "Hydrogen into Homes" technology demonstration project involving natural gas blending.

The Hydrogen Energy Plan also specifies Fujian Province’s hydrogen industry development layout focused on "two cores, one safeguard, one corridor, and one network": namely, Fuzhou and Xiamen as manufacturing and technological innovation cores for the entire industry chain, Zhangzhou as a green hydrogen demonstration safeguard, leveraging coastal resources and first-mover innovation advantages to build a distinctive coastal hydrogen economy corridor. Following a development layout progressing from points to areas, dedicated to public use, and urban to intercity, hydrogen refueling station deployment will be reasonably supported and moderately advanced to form a province-wide refueling network.

(III) Key Tasks

To achieve the development objectives, pathway, and industrial layout, the Hydrogen Energy Plan proposes five key tasks:

First, the hydrogen industry innovation enhancement project, addressing major industrial demands by cultivating, establishing, and upgrading multi-level, diversified innovation platforms; leveraging these platforms to continuously strengthen basic research, key technologies, and disruptive innovation, enhancing industrial competitiveness and innovation capacity, with breakthroughs in core technologies like hydrogen production, preparation, storage, transportation, application, and infrastructure, while actively undertaking national and provincial key R&D projects in hydrogen energy.

Second, the hydrogen industry chain cultivation project, guiding leading enterprises to accelerate hydrogen industry deployment while increasing support for supporting enterprises, targeted cultivation of specialized and innovative firms; expanding hydrogen application markets, especially green hydrogen, and progressively advancing cost-competitive green hydrogen substitution.

Third is the hydrogen energy industry promotion project, which aims to promote a number of demonstration scenarios for hydrogen energy industry applications, accelerate the construction of demonstration projects such as the national fuel cell vehicle demonstration cities, the Gulei green hydrogen pilot base, and the island green hydrogen comprehensive energy application projects, support the expansion of hydrogen energy applications in metallurgy, shipping, and other fields, and promote energy conservation, carbon reduction, and transformation and upgrading in related industries.

Fourth is the hydrogen energy industry policy guarantee project, which supports the layout of green hydrogen projects in non-chemical industrial parks and gradually promotes the construction of electrolytic water hydrogen production projects on the basis of pilot projects and experience summarization. Various departments will collaborate in accordance with their functions and responsibilities to clarify safety supervision norms for preparation, storage, use, transportation, and other links, as well as specific requirements for hydrogen production in non-chemical industrial parks, forming a unified and efficient project approval and management system.

Fifth is the hydrogen energy industry standardization construction project, which involves establishing a provincial hydrogen energy standardization technical committee, systematically constructing a hydrogen energy standard system, laying out and constructing a hydrogen energy equipment standard verification base, promoting the alignment of green hydrogen and green ammonia/green alcohol standards with international standards, and driving industrial development through standard leadership.

(IV) Safeguard Measures

A coordination mechanism for promoting the development of the hydrogen energy industry in Fujian Province will be established, led by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and jointly participated in by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and Provincial Energy and Chemical Group, among others. This mechanism will coordinate and resolve major issues in hydrogen energy development, guide the healthy and orderly development of the industry, strengthen tracking and guidance for the implementation of the plan, and enhance the ability to prevent safety risks.