'Hydrogen city' to be built in central China

WUHAN - Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei province, will build itself into a "hydrogen city" through developing hydrogen energy industry, according to a city development plan.

The city is to advance research and development of core technology of hydrogen production, storage and transport, and improve hydrogen infrastructure in the coming years.

A hydrogen energy industrial park is expected to be built in the city, gathering more than 100 fuel cell automakers and related enterprises, the plan said.

The city will build up to 20 hydrogen fueling stations from 2018 to 2020 to support the running of about 3,000 hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles.

Wuhan is scheduled to become a world hydrogen city by 2025, with 3 to 5 world leading hydrogen enterprises and 30 to 100 hydrogen fueling stations. The annual production value of hydrogen fuel cells will exceed 100 billion yuan ($15.63 billion), it added.

"Despite a late start, China has made rapid progress in hydrogen development, mastering core technologies of the hydrogen fuel cell," said Zhang Qingjie, president of Wuhan University of Technology.

Wuhan, which sits on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, is home to a number of car-making companies, including Dongfeng Motor Corporation, one of China's leading car-makers.

With China's preferential policies in hydrogen industry, Wuhan has great potential and a bright future in hydrogen energy development, Zhang said.