Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2020 shows an unmanned vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cell displayed at the 2020 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference held in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)
BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- As the secondary clean energy with the greatest potential in the 21st century, hydrogen is an important approach to deep decarbonization in many fields, which marks a major strategic direction for the technological revolution and transformation of energy across the world, said Peng Xuehai, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, duringthe sub-forum on hydrogen energy of the 2022 Global Energy Transition Forum held in Beijing on Sept. 17.
In the face of increasingly severe climate challenges at present, China is actively promoting the development of the hydrogen energy industry, and its potential is being unleashed.
-- Hydrogen energy industry enjoys huge potential
Hydrogen is conservatively estimated to account for 10 percent in China's end-use energy system in 2050, and about 15 percent in 2060, according to Gan Yong, an academician and former vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
As an important part of China's energy strategy, hydrogen will be incorporated into the end-use energy system and become a major source of consumption together with electric power, complementarily contributing to the formation of an emerging industry with a scale of 10 trillion yuan.
The huge opportunity for the hydrogen energy industry benefits from its advantages in combating climate change and propelling the transformation of the energy system.
As an ideal medium to realize efficient conversion between various energy sources and an effective way to turn the traditional fossil energy into clean energy, hydrogen energy is expected to promote the transformation of traditional energy to low-carbon and clean energy, facilitate the transformation of energy and power, and ensure the security of energy supply, said Xu Chunming, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Expert Committee of the Hydrogen Energy Industry Promotion Association.
From a global perspective, with the accelerated introduction of supporting policies in various countries in recent years, hydrogen energy has become anew field for global competition and cooperation.
-- China continues to promote layout of whole industry chain in hydrogen energy sector
In recent years, with the development of the hydrogen energy industry and technological progress, the application of hydrogen energy has been promoted at a quicker pace.
The global hydrogen energy industry is in the initial stage of demonstration and business model exploration now, and is expected to begin the commercialization after 2030, according to Qin Zhidong, vice president of business of Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. and president of Foton IBLUE Auto.
The hydrogen energy industry chain has taken shape in China covering hydrogen production, storage, transportation and application. Driven by top-level design and favorable policies, the hydrogen energy industry is developing steadily, he added.
Different from the development paths based on passenger vehicles in foreign countries, China's hydrogen fuel takes commercial vehicles as the entry point and takes a leading position in the world with its cell vehicle infrastructure constantly improved. In 2021, China ranked first in the world in the number of hydrogen refueling stations built, hydrogen refueling stations in operation, and also newly built hydrogen refueling stations, according to Qin.
-- A green "energy valley" to be built
According to Peng Xuehai, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Beijing will give full play to its advantages in bringing together scientific and technological resources and talents, strengthen policy guidance and industrial cultivation, and promote technological innovation, demonstration, application and industrial development of hydrogen energy, in order to build itself into a city with international influence in the hydrogen energy industry and build a complete industrial chain in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Beijing is expected to be equipped with the basis for the large-scale utilization of hydrogen energy, and a complete industrial system and supporting infrastructure by 2025.
By that time, 10 to 15 leading companies with international influence and three to four world-class R&D innovation platforms will be cultivated in Beijing and the industrial scale in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region will exceed 100 billion yuan, carbon emissions will be cut by 2 million tonnes, and over 10,000 fuel cell vehicles will be launched.
(Edited by Gao Jingyan with Xinhua Silk Road, gaojingyan@xinhua.org)
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