A hydrogen energy town in Rugao -- a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province -- was listed as one of the "top 10 fast growing characteristic towns in 2019", during an industry-city integration summit forum recently held in Beijing.

The forum was hosted by the China Center for Information Industry Development at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and CCID Consulting, a consulting company affiliated to the center -- with participation of more than 100 experts from the MIIT, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Development and Reform Commission and other officials and company representatives.

Rugao started to develop its hydrogen energy sector in 2010, and has since become home to nearly 30 hydrogen companies engaged in hydrogen energy storage and transportation, fuel cells, fuel cell vehicles, and more -- making it one of the earliest areas in China to develop a local hub for the hydrogen energy industry.

The emerging hydrogen energy industry is still in the stage of pilot application. Rugao has opened a hydrogen fuel cell bus line, and it is currently focusing on the research and development of hydrogen fuel cell logistics vehicles and passenger vehicles.

The city started building a hydrogen energy town in October last year, determined to develop itself into a leading international hydrogen energy industrial cluster.

Rugao now has a hydrogen energy industrial chain that integrates storage and transportation of hydrogen, hydrogenation, hydrogen fuel cell research and development, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle development and manufacturing and hydrogen energy and product pilot applications.

Last year, the hydrogen energy sector generated annual sales of 5 billion yuan ($726.3 million), a year-on-year increase of 66 percent.

The city also released policies to support the development of the hydrogen energy industry, and aims to become a leader in China's hydrogen energy sector.

A list of the "top 10 fast growing characteristic towns in 2019" is released during an industry-city integration summit forum held recently in Beijing. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

The future is here: the hydrogen energy town in Rugao, Nantong, in Jiangsu province [Photo/ntjoy.com]