China Releases Hydrogen Development Report: Renewable Capacity Tops 1.4 Million Tonnes, 620 Stations

On August 11, the National Energy Administration released the China Hydrogen Energy Development Report (2026). As of the end of 2025, China's annual hydrogen production capacity exceeded 51 million tonnes, up about 1.4% year on year; output that year exceeded 39 million tonnes, up about 7.3%. In 2025, global hydrogen production and consumption reached about 109 million tonnes, up about 3% year on year. As of end-2025, 66 countries and regions had issued hydrogen development strategies, accounting for more than 90% of global GDP.

The report noted that in 2025, China's entire hydrogen chain covering production, storage, transport and utilisation grew rapidly. The installed annual capacity for renewable-hydrogen production in operation exceeded 250,000 tonnes, more than doubling from the previous level. Pilot projects for large-scale hydrogen-ammonia-methanol initiatives were launched in the Three North region, promoting hydrogen applications in industry, transport and energy. Diversified wind-solar-hydrogen coupling scenarios were gradually deployed in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Hebei, while integrated green hydrogen-ammonia-methanol models were being explored at a faster pace in the Northeast, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta. Fuel-cell vehicle holdings stood at about 32,000 units, with continued exploration of large-scale operations in logistics corridors and ports. Together, China and Europe contributed more than 70% of global renewable hydrogen production capacity.

As of June 2026, the combined capacity of completed and under-construction renewable hydrogen production exceeded 1.4 million tonnes per year, of which more than 270,000 tonnes per year was in operation and over 1.13 million tonnes per year was under construction, with water electrolysis as the main route. Hydrogen infrastructure is being steadily expanded: by June, about 620 hydrogen refuelling stations had been built nationwide, several ports were equipped to bunker green ammonia or green methanol, and the length of pure-hydrogen pipelines in operation exceeded 350 kilometres.

The report said 2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and is an important year for strengthening industrial planning guidance, increasing policy support, intensifying core technology research, advancing diversified hydrogen pilot programmes and improving the standards and certification system. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, as diversified hydrogen pilots are implemented, the construction and operation of large-scale green hydrogen-ammonia-methanol projects will be further improved, and technological equipment innovation and industrial ecosystem development will be deepened and refined.