"Spring" Has Arrived? State-Owned Enterprises Accelerate Their Entry; Experts Forecast Trillion-Yuan Scale!

Wang Shudong, Chairman of China Coal Group, revealed that the group has undertaken the national key R&D program “Hydrogen Energy Special Project,” successfully building and operating the world’s first demonstration plant for liquid sunshine with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons. As the main force driving investment, technological breakthroughs, and real-world application in China’s green hydrogen industry, central SOEs’ strategic declarations carry both policy guidance and practical industrial significance. They not only affirm hydrogen’s core value within the new energy system but also delineate the critical pathways for next-stage technological advancement, application expansion, and industrial scaling. Promoted Directly to the “National Key Class” At one time, hydrogen energy occupied a position in China’s energy landscape more akin to an “extracurricular interest group.” Industry insiders widely acknowledged its environmental benefits and long-term potential—but remained hesitant to commit substantial financial resources. Approval for hydrogen refueling stations was extraordinarily difficult, as hydrogen had long been classified as a “hazardous chemical,” not an “energy source.” In 2026, the wind shifted. On February 15, the journal Qiushi published the article “Key Tasks for Current Economic Work,” explicitly proposing to “cultivate emerging growth drivers such as hydrogen energy and green fuels.” Within China’s economic discourse, being designated a “growth driver” means hydrogen energy is no longer merely a reserve option reserved for idealism or environmentalism—it must now shoulder concrete responsibilities: stimulating investment and generating output. Shortly thereafter, Liu Deshun, Chief Engineer of the National Energy Administration, signaled that in 2026, new energy storage systems would be integrated into the new power system, and hydrogen development would be scientifically planned. This policy trajectory had already been carefully laid out step by step. In 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly released the “Medium- and Long-Term Hydrogen Energy Industry Development Plan (2021–2035),” igniting the hydrogen market. In 2024, “accelerating hydrogen energy industry development” appeared in the Government Work Report for the first time. By the end of 2024, three ministries jointly issued the “Implementation Plan for Accelerating Clean, Low-Carbon Hydrogen Applications in the Industrial Sector,” systematically outlining 30 specific tasks targeting applications including clean, low-carbon hydrogen substitution, hydrogen-based metallurgy, green methanol production using green hydrogen, green ammonia production using green hydrogen, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Subsequently, hydrogen energy was formally incorporated into the regulatory framework of the Energy Law. To date, over 50 central SOEs and 40 state-owned enterprises have entered the hydrogen energy and related equipment sectors. Private enterprises—including Envision Energy, Mingyang Group, and Goldwind Technologies—have likewise joined integrated wind-solar-hydrogen-ammonia-methanol projects. Global competition is accelerating too. Currently, over 30 countries worldwide have launched green hydrogen strategies. Japan unveiled its “Basic Hydrogen Strategy” as early as 2017; it leads globally in patents related to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The EU published its “EU Hydrogen Strategy” in 2020, aiming to scale up green hydrogen production to 10 million tons annually by 2030 and allocating nearly €700 million in subsidies for green hydrogen projects across France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s “National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap,” domestic U.S. hydrogen demand is projected to reach 10, 20, and 50 million tons per year by 2030, 2040, and 2050 respectively—and production costs are targeted to fall to $2/kg by 2030 and $1/kg by 2035. Why the urgency? Industry insiders view replacing fossil fuels with wind and solar green electricity as fundamentally constrained by sectors where direct electrification remains impractical—such as heavy industry, deep-sea shipping, and long-haul heavy transport. These represent the final strongholds of fossil fuels.

Spain Poised to Become Europe’s Second-Largest Hydrogen Market

Zero-Carbon Intelligence 【Spain Poised to Become Europe’s Second-Largest Hydrogen Market】 Among European nations, Germany and Spain are the two most proactive in strategically advancing hydrogen. On August 12, BloombergNEF (BNEF) reported that Spain is set to build Europe’s second-largest green hydrogen market—second only to Germany. Following its implementation of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III), Spain has raised its 2040 transport-sector quota to the highest level among all EU member states—though penalty provisions for noncompliance remain under final determination. In July 2025, the Spanish government published a draft Royal Decree for public consultation, transposing the EU’s RED III into domestic law and setting ambitious targets for the use of green hydrogen and its derivatives in the transport sector. On July 23, Spain formally adopted the final legislation—the Royal Decree 611/2026—which was published in the Official State Gazette. The final version proves even more ambitious than both the earlier draft and the EU’s baseline requirements. The enacted law mandates that, by 2030, 2.5% of road transport energy must come from green hydrogen and its derivatives; however, the mandatory quota for refineries is set at only 1.5%, while non-refinery fuel suppliers face a 1% requirement. Infographic caption: The chart above illustrates the evolution of Spain’s minimum green hydrogen demand quotas in the transport sector. The gray line represents the quota initially proposed by the Cabinet in January 2026; the blue line shows the quota finalized in July 2026 through legislation. By 2040, the initial proposal envisioned approximately 700,000 tons/year, whereas the legislated quota approaches 1.1 million tons/year—demonstrating that the final law is markedly more ambitious than the original proposal. RED III requires only that at least 1% of EU transport fuels consist of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs)—i.e., green hydrogen and its derivatives—by 2030. Spain’s 2.5% RFNBO target clearly exceeds this. Moreover, Spain’s final legislation raises the 2040 target from the 7.5% stipulated in the January 2026 draft to 11%, surpassing Germany’s 10% quota.

Moeve Starts Construction of Green Hydrogen Plant in Spain

8 hours ago

Moeve has commenced construction of a 300MW green hydrogen plant in Huelva, Spain, as part of its Onuba project. The facility, backed by EU funding, will supply hydrogen for sustainable aviation fuel and refinery decarbonization, with biofuel units targeting 2027 production.

ccin

2026-09-29

Moeve Starts Construction of Green Hydrogen Plant in Spain

Moeve Starts Construction of Green Hydrogen Plant in Spain

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