[SMM Hydrogen Energy Policy Express] National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of Tianjin: Issues Notice on Organizing the Collection of Pilot Hydrogen Energy Projects in the Energy Sector

On June 19, the Tianjin Municipal Development and Reform Commission issued the Notice on Organizing the Collection of Pilot Hydrogen Energy Projects in the Energy Sector.

The document states that it aims to promote the application of advanced hydrogen energy technologies and key equipment through pilot projects, support the verification of the feasibility and effectiveness of various standards, and explore project development plans that are technologically advanced, have clear models, and are replicable and scalable. Pilot projects are to be submitted by the project owners, primarily focusing on a single pilot direction. In principle, relevant projects are required to have completed approval, filing, and other procedures, and possess the necessary elements and conditions for construction to ensure the smooth operation of the pilot projects. The business models should be clear, with significant cost-effectiveness and outstanding carbon reduction effects. Support is provided for projects that apply breakthrough achievements from major national science and technology projects, national key R&D programs, first-of-a-kind major technical equipment, and R&D innovation platforms in the energy sector. Support is also given to creating new scenarios, models, and mechanisms for promoting the application of technological and equipment achievements, thereby consolidating and enhancing the innovation and competitiveness of the hydrogen energy industry. Pilot projects are to be completed and put into operation within three years in principle, meaning the operation time should not be later than June 2028. For pilot projects, newly built coal-fired power units should be included in the planning, and retrofitted coal-fired power units should be compliant projects. Hydrogen transmission pipelines should primarily be provincial projects, and those involving cross-provincial (autonomous region, municipality) areas should be aligned and consistent.

The pilot directions include:

Hydrogen Production: Large-scale hydrogen production and integration, advanced flexible off-grid hydrogen production, and comprehensive development of clean and low-carbon hydrogen energy.

Hydrogen Storage and Transportation: Large-scale and long-distance transportation, and high-density and diversified storage.

Hydrogen Energy Application: Green substitution in oil refining and coal-to-oil and gas processes, hydrogen-ammonia fuel for power and energy supply, long-term and efficient operation of hydrogen energy storage, and comprehensive application in the energy sector.

Common Support: Hydrogen energy demonstration and experimental platforms, and pilot projects for low-carbon transformation of hydrogen energy.

The document is as follows:

Notice on Organizing the Collection of Pilot Hydrogen Energy Projects in the Energy Sector

To All Relevant Units:

In order to earnestly implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and thoroughly implement the Energy Law of the People's Republic of China, the National Energy Administration will select certain projects and regions to carry out pilot work, further promoting innovative hydrogen energy management models, exploring diversified paths for the development of the hydrogen energy industry, forming replicable and scalable experiences, and supporting the development of the entire "production, storage, transportation, and utilization" chain of hydrogen energy. In accordance with the requirements of the Notice of the General Office of the National Energy Administration on Organizing Pilot Hydrogen Energy Work in the Energy Sector, the organization of pilot project submissions in our city is hereby carried out, with the following requirements:

I. Significance and Requirements of Pilot Projects

Rely on pilot projects to promote the application of advanced hydrogen energy technologies and key equipment, support the verification of the feasibility and effectiveness of various standards, and explore project development plans that are technologically advanced, have clear models, and are replicable and scalable. Project pilots shall be declared by the owner units, focusing on a single pilot direction. In principle, relevant projects are required to have completed approval, filing, and other procedures, and possess the necessary elements and safeguards for construction commencement to ensure the smooth operation of pilot projects. The business model should be clear, with significant cost-effectiveness and outstanding carbon reduction effects. Support shall be provided for projects to apply breakthrough achievements from major national science and technology special projects, national key R&D programs, first-of-a-kind (set) major technical equipment, R&D and innovation platforms in the energy sector, etc. Support shall also be given to creating new scenarios, models, and mechanisms for the promotion and application of technological and equipment achievements, thereby consolidating and enhancing the innovation and competitiveness of the hydrogen energy industry. In principle, project pilots should be completed and put into operation within three years, meaning the operation time should not be later than June 2028. For pilot projects, newly built coal-fired power units should be included in the planning, while retrofitted coal-fired power units should be compliant projects. Hydrogen transmission pipelines should, in principle, be mainly provincial projects, and those involving cross-provincial (regional, municipal) areas should be consistently coordinated.

II. Pilot Directions

(I) Hydrogen Production

Direction 1: Large-scale Hydrogen Production and Integration

In regions rich in wind, solar, hydropower, nuclear power, and biomass resources, large-scale renewable energy-based hydrogen production and nuclear power-based hydrogen production projects shall be carried out, adapting to the fluctuating characteristics of wind and solar power. Downstream, there can be integrated coupling with scenarios such as ammonia, alcohol, aviation kerosene, and refining and chemical industries. The proportion of on-grid electricity from supporting renewable energy projects should not exceed 20%, and in principle, should not occupy system regulation resources. The installed capacity of hydrogen production electrolyzers should not be less than 100 megawatts (MW) (or the gasification capacity should not be less than 20,000 standard cubic meters per hour), and the operational load regulation capability of the electrolyzers should not be less than the 50%-100% level.

Direction 2: Advanced Flexible Off-grid Hydrogen Production

In areas with weak power grids, such as deep seas, deserts, "high altitude, coastal, border, and uninhabited" regions, off-grid hydrogen production pilots shall be carried out according to local conditions, constructing an integrated energy architecture of wind, solar, hydrogen, and storage, exploring the application of advanced off-grid hydrogen production technologies, achieving off-grid grid-forming support, as well as flexible coordination of renewable energy output, energy storage charging and discharging, and electrolyzer loads, and carrying out business model innovations. The scale of supporting hydrogen production electrolyzers should not be less than 10 MW.

Direction 3: Comprehensive Development of Clean and Low-carbon Hydrogen Energy

Nearby development and utilization of industrial by-product hydrogen resources from coke, chlor-alkali, light hydrocarbon cracking, etc., shall be carried out. Encouragement shall be given to install carbon capture and utilization devices for hydrogen production from fossil fuels, and the exploration of constructing regional, large-scale high-purity hydrogen supply centers to support hydrogen demand in terminal transportation, power generation, and other scenarios, as well as the low-carbon development of industries such as ammonia synthesis, methanol synthesis, refining and chemical, and metallurgy. The hydrogen purification scale should not be less than 5,000 standard cubic meters per hour. Among them, the purity of hydrogen used in transportation and power generation fields should comply with the GB/T 37244-2018 "Fuel Hydrogen for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Vehicles" standard.

(II) Hydrogen Energy Storage and Transportation

Direction 1: Large-scale and Long-distance Transportation

Focusing on the demand for large-scale, long-distance, and cross-regional hydrogen transportation, pilot projects will be conducted on different forms of gaseous and liquid hydrogen technologies, including pipelines (with the transportation medium limited to hydrogen produced from renewable energy), liquid hydrogen tankers, and higher-pressure tube bundles. These efforts aim to effectively improve the efficiency and scale of hydrogen transportation while reducing costs. The liquefaction capacity of a single set of equipment in a liquid hydrogen plant should be no less than 5 mt/day; the transportation capacity of a single vehicle should be no less than 600 kg; and the length of pipelines should be no less than 100 km.

Direction 2: High-density and Diversified Storage

On the premise of safety and controllability, pilot applications of hydrogen storage technologies will be carried out, including high-efficiency high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage, organic liquid hydrogen storage, solid-state metal hydrogen storage, cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage, rock cave hydrogen storage, and ammonia-alcohol carrier hydrogen storage. These efforts aim to improve performance indicators such as hydrogen storage density, hydrogen charging/discharging efficiency, cycle life, and cycle energy consumption. Innovations in technology, materials, and processes will be promoted to support the construction of a high-density, lightweight, and diversified hydrogen energy storage system and the expansion of hydrogen energy application scenarios. The hydrogen storage capacity of a single project should be no less than 20,000 standard cubic meters.

(III) Hydrogen Energy Application

Direction 1: Green Substitution in Oil Refining and Coal-to-Oil/Gas Processes

The substitution of hydrogen produced from renewable energy in production processes such as oil refining and coal-to-oil/gas will be carried out. Supporting facilities for hydrogen production and supply from renewable energy will be constructed. Relevant process flows for renewable energy power generation and hydrogen production substitution will be continuously optimized to increase the substitution ratio and reaction efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and support the green transformation of related industries. The substitution scale of hydrogen produced from renewable energy should be no less than 1,000 mt/year.

Direction 2: Power and Energy Supply with Hydrogen-Ammonia Fuels

Based on the needs of scenario applications, pilot applications of coal-fired power generation blended with hydrogen/ammonia, gas turbine power generation blended with hydrogen/ammonia/pure hydrogen, etc., will be conducted. These efforts aim to support the low-carbon transformation of power generation and energy supply systems, improve the comprehensive utilization efficiency of energy, reduce fossil energy consumption and carbon emissions in the power generation sector, and achieve long-term, continuous, and stable operation. The scale of gas turbine projects should be no less than 10 MW, with a hydrogen/ammonia blending ratio of no less than 15%; the scale of coal-fired boiler projects should be no less than 300 MW, with a hydrogen/ammonia blending ratio of no less than 10%.

Direction 3: Long-term and Long-lasting Operation of Hydrogen Energy Storage

Exploration of the "power-hydrogen-power" hydrogen energy storage scenario and mode will be carried out, with the configuration of hydrogen production, storage, and power generation devices. These efforts aim to support the higher-penetration consumption of renewable energy, the cross-time-scale storage and regulation of electricity, and the flexible switching between off-grid and grid-connected operation modes. Collaborative control of hydrogen energy storage with other energy storage systems will be conducted to improve response speed and energy conversion efficiency, and promote the participation of hydrogen energy storage in various services and markets. The power generation capacity on the generation side of hydrogen energy storage projects should be no less than 1 megawatt (MW), with continuous full-power generation lasting no less than 4 hours, and the duration requirement may be appropriately extended according to scenario needs.

Direction IV: Comprehensive Applications in the Energy Sector

Implement combined heat and power (CHP) systems using fuel cells in scenarios such as buildings and industrial parks to support the deep substitution of clean fuels in relevant scenarios; utilize hydrogen energy for distributed power supply and energy provision in remote areas, explore the application of hydrogen energy as backup power supplies in scenarios such as data centers and communication base stations; and explore other application models of hydrogen energy in the energy sector. The installed capacity of fuel cells in relevant projects should be no less than 0.5 MW.

(IV) Common Support

Direction I: Hydrogen Energy Demonstration and Experimental Platform

Conduct demonstration and verification of key hydrogen energy equipment and hydrogen quality management, and carry out actual operating condition verification for key hydrogen energy equipment such as alkaline electrolyzers, proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzers, new-type energy storage devices, and fuel cells, to support the continuous iterative optimization of the evaluation standard system and serve the formulation and verification of industry standards. The project should possess the capability to test the system performance of electrolyzers in series/parallel or hybrid configurations, power dispatching, and other multi-scenario applications, as well as the foundation for formulating and issuing national and industry standards.

Direction II: Pilot Projects for Low-Carbon Transition of Hydrogen Energy

In parks such as mines, ports, logistics, and industrial areas, focus on the integration and scenario application of full-chain technologies including "hydrogen production from renewable energy - hydrogen storage/energy storage - multi-energy complementation" to build a zero-carbon energy system centered around hydrogen energy. Taking the full chain of "hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization" as the hub, explore mechanisms for "direct green electricity supply" and the realization of carbon reduction value, and promote the large-scale substitution of renewable energy in parks. Over 80% of the energy consumption in scenarios such as transportation, industry, and construction within the parks should be clean.

III. Application Requirements

Project pilots should be recommended and applied for by the development and reform departments of each district. The principal applicant for project pilots should, in principle, be the project owner unit. For joint applications, the necessity and specific division of labor should be provided. Enterprises participating in the application should be registered within the territory of the People's Republic of China, possess independent legal person status, have no adverse credit records, and have strong economic strength, technological R&D capabilities, and integration and innovation capabilities. The applying project unit should fill out the hydrogen energy project pilot application form (Attachment 1: Recommended unit to fill in: Tianjin Development and Reform Commission) and the application report (Attachment 2) in a standardized manner. Relevant materials should be ensured to be true, accurate, and complete, and capable of fully demonstrating the advantages and potential of the pilot project.

After being stamped, the project pilot materials recommended by each district should be mailed or delivered to our commission (Energy Division, SDIC Building, No. 157 Dagubei Road, Heping District, Tianjin, Postal Code: 300041) in both paper (3 copies) and electronic (1 copy) versions before July 9, 2025. The electronic version can be sent to the government affairs email address sfzggwnyc01@tj.gov.cn. Applications and supporting materials that do not meet the requirements or are submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Attachments: 1. Application Form for Pilot Hydrogen Energy Projects in the Energy Sector

2. Application Report for Pilot Hydrogen Energy Projects in the Energy Sector (Reference Outline)

Attachment: Notice on Organizing the Collection of Pilot Hydrogen Energy Projects in the Energy Sector.doc

Tianjin Development and Reform Commission

June 19, 2025