China's Greater Bay Area Hydrogen Pilot Plans to Promote 16,000 Fuel Cell Vehicles and Build 100 New Hydrogen Refueling Stations

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 22, a work deployment meeting for the Greater Bay Area hydrogen energy comprehensive application pilot city cluster was held in Guangzhou. During the pilot period, the city cluster plans to promote 16,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, build 100 new hydrogen refueling stations, and coordinate the construction of four major transportation corridors: the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao cross-provincial hydrogen corridor, the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang hydrogen expressway, the Han-Xiang-Shi hydrogen corridor, and the coastal hydrogen energy economic corridor, forming a large-scale intercity fuel cell vehicle application network. Guangzhou has previously continued to implement fuel cell vehicle demonstration operation subsidies. In 2026, eligible heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will receive operation subsidies of up to 2.5 yuan/km, with a maximum annual subsidy of 100,000 yuan per vehicle.

The infrastructure construction focus of this round of pilot projects falls on the hydrogen refueling network and cross-provincial corridors. The city cluster plans to add 100 hydrogen refueling stations and deploy hydrogen energy nodes along the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang corridor, and coastal transportation corridors, extending fuel cell vehicles from single-city demonstrations to interprovincial trunk line transportation. The four corridors cover Guangdong and connect to Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, and other regions. Construction will involve hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen storage and transportation, terminal supply, and expressway transportation organization.

Guangzhou also initiated the "Greater Bay Area Hydrogen Vehicle Expressway Toll Discount and Cross-Provincial Mutual Recognition Initiative," proposing to promote Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, and other provinces to study hydrogen vehicle expressway toll discount policies based on local conditions, and to explore the establishment of a cross-provincial mutual recognition mechanism for toll discounts among the five provinces of the city cluster. The initiative also proposes to deploy hydrogen refueling stations in conjunction with the national zero-carbon highway transportation corridor construction layout, and to promote the gradual reduction of terminal hydrogen use costs to below 25 yuan/kg.

The pilot will also simultaneously advance hydrogen energy substitution applications in the industrial sector, covering green ships, industrial hydrogen use, and other high-energy-consumption production links, and promote the joint expansion of fuel cell vehicle promotion and industrial applications. The city cluster work arrangement proposes cultivating diversified hydrogen energy application scenarios and promoting the formation of supporting capabilities in hydrogen production, storage and transportation, refueling, fuel cell systems, and terminal equipment.

Guangzhou has currently established a fuel cell vehicle demonstration application subsidy system. The first batch of operation subsidy applications in 2026 covers light, medium, and heavy fuel cell vehicles, with maximum subsidies of 0.5 yuan/km for light vehicles, 1 yuan/km for medium vehicles, and 2.5 yuan/km for heavy vehicles. Vehicle operation data must be connected to the national and Guangzhou fuel cell vehicle demonstration application information platforms