Hydrogen refueling station in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong, Jiangsu province, has announced new guidelines designed to promote the high-quality development of the hydrogen industry.

The city aims to become a demonstration zone for hydrogen equipment manufacturing and application, as well as a regional hydrogen supply hub within the Yangtze River Delta region, according to the guidelines issued by the Nantong Development and Reform Commission and the bureau of industry and information technology.

Capitalizing on its strengths in green electricity, hydrogen resources, and manufacturing, Nantong plans to advance the development of key sectors such as hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and refueling. The initiative seeks to broaden the applications of hydrogen across transportation, energy, and industry.

By 2028, Nantong intends to develop a comprehensive "production-storage-transportation-use" supply chain and industrial system. Enhanced technological innovation will be a driving force behind improvements in quality and efficiency throughout the hydrogen industry chain. Infrastructure development will proceed systematically, and a variety of application scenarios will continue to expand.

Looking ahead to 2030, the city envisions forming a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient hydrogen supply and application system. Green hydrogen is expected to be the primary driver of hydrogen supply growth, leading to significant reductions in hydrogen costs. This progress will enable large-scale application of hydrogen across the transportation, energy, and industrial sectors.

The plan also supports the development of renewable energy hydrogen production and purification projects of industrial byproduct hydrogen in areas such as Rudong, Qidong, Haimen, and local development zones, aiming to build a robust hydrogen supply assurance system. Priority will be given to constructing hydrogen refueling facilities along highways, in port logistics, and within industrial parks.

Efforts will be intensified to advance hydrogen applications in transportation, promote fuel cell vehicles, and build green fuel-powered ships. These initiatives will align with Shanghai's development of an international center for green shipping fuel bunkering and trading.