Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Ma Yongsheng: Suggests building a national hydrogen energy infrastructure "one network"

Everyday Economic News Reporter | Yang Yu Everyday Economic News Editor | Liao Dan

As the 2026 National Two Sessions approach, a reporter from “Daily Economic News” has learned that Ma Yongsheng, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, proposed in his suggestion to coordinate the integration of the hydrogen energy industry chain, scientific research, and production, and to promote the rapid, large-scale, and high-quality development of hydrogen energy.

Ma Yongsheng stated that developing hydrogen energy is an important path to achieve the “dual carbon” goals. Currently, China’s hydrogen energy industry remains the largest in the world, with a production volume exceeding 37 million tons in 2025, including over 250,000 tons of green hydrogen capacity annually. The manufacturing capacity of core equipment such as electrolysers has advanced to the forefront globally. Green hydrogen applications are shifting from demonstration projects in transportation to deep integration in high-energy-consuming industries such as refining, chemicals, and metallurgy, effectively supporting industrial decarbonization. Additionally, as flexible loads, they provide support for grid peak regulation. By the end of 2025, there are 860 planned wind and solar-powered hydrogen projects nationwide, with an estimated production scale of about 10 million tons per year.

However, China’s hydrogen energy industry faces systemic obstacles in scaling up. First, the storage and transportation links are structurally weak, with a serious disconnect between production and sales; second, supporting planning and management mechanisms lag behind, lacking national-level special construction plans and technical standards; third, the coupling mechanism between electricity and hydrogen is inefficient, resulting in green hydrogen projects that produce but cannot be used or are unprofitable; fourth, the industry chain is fragmented into “islands,” lacking comprehensive system integration across the entire chain.

In response, Ma Yongsheng recommends coordinating the integration of the hydrogen energy industry chain, scientific research, and production to promote the rapid, large-scale, and high-quality development of hydrogen energy.

First, strengthen top-level design and build a nationwide hydrogen infrastructure network. It is suggested to incorporate hydrogen pipelines into the national land space planning “one map” and the special plan for national energy infrastructure development, and to develop a medium- and long-term national hydrogen pipeline plan, coordinating the layout of the “West Hydrogen to the East” strategic backbone corridor. Clarify administrative approval procedures and priority rights for routes, and accelerate the formulation of industry standards for pure hydrogen transportation and hydrogen-blended natural gas pipelines. Support large energy companies in conducting cross-provincial hydrogen pipeline pilot projects.

Second, deepen the electricity-hydrogen coupling mechanism, prioritizing the guarantee of surplus electricity grid connection. It is recommended to improve the electricity-hydrogen coupling mechanism, first ensuring the proportion of wind and solar power supporting green hydrogen projects’ grid connection, and clearly increasing their absorption targets. Simultaneously, implement dedicated electricity pricing policies, reduce or exempt electricity capacity charges and system reserve fees for hydrogen production, and establish hydrogen energy’s independent energy storage status in the electricity market to support its participation in peak regulation and frequency modulation. Accelerate the certification of green hydrogen and its connection with the carbon trading market, transforming the carbon reduction value of green hydrogen into economic benefits through market mechanisms.

Third, promote deep integration of technological innovation and industrial development. Flexibly adopt “task force” and other challenge modes to focus on breakthroughs in key core technologies such as high-efficiency electrolysers and large-scale storage and transportation, enhancing the industry chain’s independence and controllability. Encourage leading enterprises in refining, chemicals, and metallurgy to form innovation alliances, creating full-chain demonstration projects of “wind and solar power—pipeline hydrogen transport—industrial consumption.” Through technological innovation and deep integration with industrial scenarios, accelerate the transformation of hydrogen energy from a high-cost sector to a high-industry sector.