China home to 40 pct of world's hydrogen refueling stations: official

Photo taken on Nov. 7, 2021 shows a Mission H24 hydrogen racing car displayed at Michelin booth of the Automobile Exhibition Area of the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai (Xinhua/Meng Tao)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China has completed the construction of over 250 hydrogen refueling stations, accounting for about 40 percent of the global total, as it strives to fulfill its pledge to develop hydrogen energy to tackle climate change, according to an energy official.

The country is also developing projects in producing hydrogen from renewable energy and reducing the cost of water electrolysis, while it continues to explore storage and transportation, said Liu Yafang, an official with the National Energy Administration.

Hydrogen energy is used to power vehicles, especially buses and heavy-duty trucks. Over 6,000 vehicles on the road are installed with hydrogen fuel cells, accounting for 12 percent of the global total, Liu added.

China had released a plan for the development of hydrogen energy for the 2021-2035 period in late March.