Notice from the Three Departments on Carrying Out Pilot Work for Comprehensive Application of Hydrogen Energy
Notice of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission on Carrying Out Pilot Work for Comprehensive Hydrogen Energy Applications
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Joint Document [2026] No. 59
The industrial and information technology authorities, finance departments (bureaus), and development and reform commissions of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, as well as relevant central enterprises:
In order to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, in accordance with the relevant work deployments of the "Medium and Long-Term Development Plan for Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)" and the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Clean and Low-Carbon Hydrogen in the Industrial Sector", by promoting large-scale multi-scenario applications to drive cost reduction, facilitating innovation breakthroughs in hydrogen technology and equipment, and promoting the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission (collectively referred to as the "three departments") have organized pilot projects for comprehensive hydrogen applications. The relevant matters are as follows:
I. General Requirements
Based on the principles of application-driven, scenario-driven, local adaptation, and collaborative linkage, through pilot projects in urban agglomerations, the application scenarios of hydrogen energy will be expanded from fuel cell vehicles to various diversified fields such as transportation and industry that have the necessary conditions, thereby enhancing the supply capacity of clean and low-carbon hydrogen, overcoming technical bottlenecks and key points in hydrogen energy application fields, breaking through the development bottlenecks of the industry, forming multiple replicable and promotable commercial application models, constructing an economic, reasonable and efficient hydrogen energy comprehensive application system, and creating a favorable industrial ecosystem. The three departments have selected urban agglomerations with solid industrial foundations, rich application scenarios, strong hydrogen energy resource guarantee capabilities and complete industrial chains through the "challenge and response" approach to take the lead in conducting comprehensive hydrogen energy application pilot projects. They are scientifically, orderly and actively exploring the comprehensive commercial application path of hydrogen energy, improving the policy environment for industrial development, and promoting the integrated and coordinated development of the entire industrial chain of hydrogen energy, including production, storage, transportation and application.
By 2030, hydrogen energy will be widely and extensively applied in various fields across urban agglomerations, with the average price of terminal hydrogen dropping below 25 yuan per kilogram. It is aimed to reduce this to around 15 yuan per kilogram in some advantageous regions. The number of fuel cell vehicles nationwide will double compared to 2025, aiming to reach 100,000 units. Through the expansion of application scale, technological, process, and equipment innovations in hydrogen application will be promoted, achieving iterative upgrades in fuel cells, electrolyzers, storage and transportation devices, and materials, and making hydrogen energy a new growth point for the economy. This will support the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.
II. Pilot Tasks
Each urban agglomeration should prioritize the selection of suitable applications such as fuel cell vehicles, green ammonia alcohol, hydrogen-based chemical raw materials substitution, hydrogen metallurgy, and hydrogen blending combustion to carry out pilot projects. They should actively explore innovative hydrogen application scenarios and form a comprehensive hydrogen application ecosystem consisting of "1 common hydrogen fuel cell vehicle scenario + N industrial domain scenarios + X innovative scenarios" (details of the application scenario application requirements and basic goals are provided in Appendix 1).
(1) Fuel cell vehicles. Focusing on the construction of hydrogen highways and hydrogen corridors, we will prioritize the large-scale application of fuel cell vehicles in medium and heavy-duty, long-distance transportation, and cold chain logistics sectors. We will encourage the application of such vehicles in public transportation, urban logistics, urban sanitation, and construction waste transportation. We will also explore the application of passenger vehicles such as government vehicles and ride-hailing vehicles.
(2) Green Ammonia. Focusing on improving the technical and economic efficiency of green ammonia and expanding downstream consumption, we will innovate production technologies and processes, and promote large-scale production and application. We will build integrated renewable energy hydrogen production projects and carry out off-grid hydrogen production based on local conditions. We will establish stable downstream consumption channels for green synthetic ammonia and green methanol products. We strictly prohibit the construction of coal-based ammonia alcohol projects under the guise of green ammonia alcohol.
(3) Hydrogen-based chemical raw material substitution. Focusing on promoting carbon reduction in major hydrogen-consuming industries such as refining and coal chemical industries, scientifically construct renewable energy-based hydrogen production projects, and gradually replace the existing hydrogen production from fossil energy sources such as coal and natural gas. Encourage the layout of hydrogen storage and transportation infrastructure.
(4) Hydrogen-based Ironmaking. Focusing on promoting the transformation of the steel industry from high-carbon processes to low-carbon processes, utilize nearby industrial by-product hydrogen and hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources as clean and low-carbon hydrogen sources. Build low-carbon ironmaking facilities using hydrogen-rich or pure hydrogen as the reducing agent. Establish stable downstream consumption channels for products such as low-carbon steel.
(5) Hydrogen blending combustion. Focusing on promoting the green and low-carbonization of industrial and residential heating, while ensuring safety and reliability, we will promote the use of renewable energy to produce hydrogen as a high-quality heat source. This hydrogen will be directly blended into the natural gas pipeline or industrial boilers, kilns, and other equipment, and the proportion of hydrogen blending will be gradually increased.
(6) Innovative application scenarios. Focusing on exploring diverse application scenarios of hydrogen energy, we will promote innovative applications of hydrogen energy in areas such as rail locomotives, ships, mining trucks, forklifts, two-wheel vehicles, aircraft, backup power supplies, combined heat and power generation, new energy storage, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and others.
III. Pilot Application and Selection
(1) Applicant entities. The hydrogen energy comprehensive application pilot projects are to be submitted by urban clusters. The applicant urban clusters should, in accordance with the requirements of "geographical connectivity, industrial synergy, and ecological loop", voluntarily combine and negotiate to determine the leading city.
(2) Application Requirements. The specific application requirements are as follows:
A city cluster should have clear hydrogen energy application scenarios, strong guarantee capabilities for clean and low-carbon hydrogen resources, a good industrial chain foundation, a favorable policy and institutional environment, and relatively mature hydrogen energy application experience.
2. Urban agglomerations should fully leverage the leading enterprises' role as the mainstay support and integrative driving force in terms of hydrogen energy infrastructure and application scenarios.
3. The leading city of a metropolitan area should enhance resource integration, strengthen policy support, and achieve efficient organization and coordinated planning of the metropolitan area.
4. Urban agglomerations should consider the application of fuel cell vehicles as a common scenario. Based on the local industrial foundation and characteristics, they should determine the application scenarios in a way that suits the specific conditions of each area, thereby forming an application ecosystem where various scenarios interact and develop in a coordinated and complementary manner.
5. Urban agglomerations should base their development on their own resource conditions, adopt strategies that suit local circumstances and prioritize hydrogen energy where applicable, and avoid excessive competition and low-level redundant construction in various scenarios.
6. Urban agglomerations should ensure that the construction and operation of related projects comply with the relevant national regulations and standards concerning safety, energy conservation, environmental protection, and quality.
(III) Selection Process. The leading city shall organize other cities to jointly formulate the pilot program plan for comprehensive hydrogen application in this urban cluster, clearly defining the overall goals of hydrogen comprehensive application, as well as the detailed task goals for each year, each city, and each scenario (the outline for the program plan is detailed in Appendix 2). The leading city should sign cooperation agreements with other cities, determining their respective task divisions and functional positioning. Other cities should provide commitment letters to the leading city to ensure the completion of their assigned task goals. The competent departments of industry and information technology, finance, and development reform at the provincial level of the leading city should strengthen guidance on the application process, be responsible for guiding the optimization of the composition of the urban cluster, functional positioning, and task divisions, ensuring that the composition, task goals, and guarantee measures of the urban cluster are scientifically reasonable and feasible, and submit the work plan and application documents of the qualified urban clusters to the three departments through the hydrogen comprehensive application pilot management service platform (www.hydrogen-china.org.cn) on April 15, 2026.
The three departments entrust a third-party institution to conduct a comprehensive review of the eligible application proposals and issue review opinions. The applicant urban agglomerations should, based on the review opinions, modify and improve the application proposals, and after obtaining the approval of the provincial-level industrial and information technology, finance, and development and reform authorities of the leading city, submit them to the three departments. The three departments will review the improved application proposals and select the top 5 urban agglomerations based on their merits. Once the proposals are mature, one will be implemented.
IV. Reward Criteria
The central government will adopt the "reward instead of subsidy" approach to provide reward funds to urban clusters. The reward standards are set in tiers based on the application situation of each scene terminal products or the scale of hydrogen usage (the details of the funding support standards are provided in Appendix 3). The pilot period for each urban cluster is 4 years. The upper limit of the reward for each urban cluster during the pilot period does not exceed 1.6 billion yuan. The reward funds should be coordinated by the local government for supporting the comprehensive application of hydrogen and shall not be used for other purposes such as balancing the budget, repaying government debts, or clearing outstanding debts to enterprises. All urban agglomerations should give full play to the benefits of the reward funds, effectively reduce the cost of hydrogen use, and effectively pass it on to the terminal product consumption link.
V. Performance Evaluation and Fund Allocation
After each pilot year ends, the leading city of each urban agglomeration should summarize within 30 days the progress of the previous year's work, the completion status of task objectives, the problems faced and the work plans, as well as the detailed information on the application of terminal products in various scenarios and the scale of hydrogen usage. They should then prepare and form a self-assessment report. The self-assessment report should be reviewed and approved by the provincial industrial and information technology, finance, and development reform authorities of the location of the leading city and submitted to the three departments. The three departments will entrust a third-party institution to conduct performance evaluation of the urban agglomeration through methods such as document review, on-site inspection, on-site verification, and expert evaluation, and combine data from the hydrogen comprehensive application pilot management service platform, etc. They will issue a performance evaluation report. According to the "pre-advance payment and then settlement" method, after the approval of the pilot urban agglomeration, the central government will advance a certain proportion of the reward funds to support the urban agglomeration to launch the hydrogen comprehensive application pilot project. At the end of each pilot year, the three departments will calculate the reward points based on the annual performance evaluation results of the urban agglomeration (principally, 1 point is rewarded with 80,000 yuan). After the implementation of the policy, the reward funds will be settled based on the overall performance evaluation results of the urban agglomeration. Projects that have already received fiscal funds such as ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, central budgetary investment, and government special bonds in the hydrogen application section are not allowed to apply for this pilot reward funds support again.
VI. Organization and Implementation
The provincial authorities should play a role in organizing and coordinating, guiding the urban agglomerations to clarify their functional positioning and division of labor, establishing communication, coordination and organizational mechanisms among cities, proposing internal supervision and assessment systems and penalty measures within the urban agglomerations, creating a favorable policy and institutional environment, and ensuring the effective implementation of the pilot work. The urban agglomerations are the responsible entities for the comprehensive application of hydrogen energy pilot projects and should establish a leading group and a working team, clearly defining responsibilities and task divisions, and promoting the completion of each target task on schedule. Establish a safety management system, specify the specific responsible departments, and promote the pilot work on the basis of ensuring safety. Encourage pilot cities to actively introduce supportive policies, increase support for key technology equipment research and development in hydrogen production, storage, transportation and utilization fields. After receiving central fiscal funds rewards, localities should promptly disburse them as stipulated. Improve the policy and institutional environment, establish management methods for the construction and operation of hydrogen infrastructure, encourage the introduction of convenient policies such as the passage of fuel cell vehicles between cities. Encourage localities to strengthen fiscal and financial coordination, encourage enterprises to create conditions such as loan interest subsidies for service industry operating entities to form a linkage, and provide diversified financial guarantees for the comprehensive application of hydrogen energy pilot projects.
VII. Supervision and Management
The three departments will strengthen the process guidance for the comprehensive application pilot projects of hydrogen energy, organize third-party institutions and industry experts to provide full-process technical support and tracking guidance, strengthen performance management, and implement node control. Urban clusters should upload relevant data and information on hydrogen energy comprehensive applications to the hydrogen energy comprehensive application pilot management service platform as required. For urban clusters that fail to meet the expected progress, the three departments will take measures such as requiring adjustments to the work plans, deducting or suspending the reward funds, suspending the participation of cities or canceling the pilot qualifications of urban clusters, depending on the situation. The three departments will comprehensively consider the implementation situations such as technological progress and pilot progress, as well as the development status of the industry, and regularly optimize the technical indicators requirements for each scenario, and adjust the pilot goals, application scenarios, and composition of urban clusters in a timely manner.
Contact Information:
Energy Conservation and Utilization Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology 010-68205354
Ministry of Finance Economic Construction Department 010-68554740
Innovation and High Technology Development Department of National Development and Reform Commission, Tel: 010-68502582
Attachment: 1.Requirements and basic targets for hydrogen energy comprehensive application pilot projects.pdf
3.Fund Support Standards for Comprehensive Hydrogen Energy Application Pilot Projects.pdf
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
Ministry of Finance
National Development and Reform Commission
March 6th, 2026
