#China #Nanjing #Hydrogen #Sinopec #Mobility

Sinopec's Hydrogen Corridor along the Yangtze River

On September 25, 2025, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, known as Sinopec, marked a significant advancement in the sphere of hydrogen mobility at a special conference focused on the development of a modern hydrogen energy application industry, held in Nanjing. This initiative saw the successful completion of a remarkable 1,500-kilometer journey by hydrogen-powered logistics vehicles, which traveled from the Qingwei Integrated Energy Station located in Shanghai's Qingpu District. This journey showcased the capabilities of hydrogen-powered transportation as the vehicles traversed five provinces, namely Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Hubei, reaching the Zhijiang Service Area South Station in Yichang, Hubei. The vehicles refueled at six strategically placed Sinopec hydrogen stations along the route.

This accomplishment is not Sinopec's first foray into long-distance hydrogen logistics. The company previously piloted similar hydrogen corridors along the Beijing-Shanghai and Western Land-Sea routes, leveraging its extensive energy station network. Currently, Sinopec has established five intercity hydrogen corridors that connect cities such as Beijing to Tianjin, Chengdu to Chongqing, Shanghai to Jiaxing and Ningbo, Jinan to Qingdao, and Wuhan to Yichang.

To further enhance hydrogen mobility integration between the eastern and western regions of China, Sinopec has interconnected the Shanghai-Jiaxing-Ningbo corridor with the Wuhan-Yichang corridor via the newly developed Yangtze River hydrogen corridor. Future plans aim to seamlessly link this network with the Chengdu-Chongqing corridor, thereby creating a comprehensive hydrogen highway system along the Yangtze River. With such a structure in place, the availability of hydrogen-powered vehicles on highways will be significantly improved, providing greater confidence for users.

Sinopec continues to solidify its position as the dominant player in China's hydrogen sector. Currently, the company boasts an annual hydrogen production capacity of 4.45 million tons. Additionally, it operates the nation’s groundbreaking industrial-scale seawater-to-hydrogen project at its Qingdao Refinery. Another ongoing project involves a pilot program using a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) at the Zhongyuan Oilfield. Furthermore, Sinopec is developing the Ordos integrated wind-solar hydrogen project in Inner Mongolia, which aims to provide hydrogen for the decarbonization of coal chemicals, and the Ulanqab project will facilitate the use of the first large-scale, cross-provincial pure hydrogen pipeline in China.

With an operational network of 146 hydrogen stations and 11 supply centers, Sinopec effectively covers all '3+2' hydrogen fuel cell pilot city clusters, ensuring its status as the largest hydrogen station operator globally. Looking toward the future, Sinopec plans to collaborate with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) under its 'Hydrogen Highway' initiative. This strategy aims to further develop refueling networks along highways, stimulate the hydrogen economy, and implement sustainable business models that foster high-quality growth in the hydrogen industry.

Through these initiatives, Sinopec is not only transforming the landscape of hydrogen mobility in China but also positioning itself as a global leader in the transition towards sustainable energy solutions. This pioneering corridor along the Yangtze River is just one step in a series of ambitious projects designed to make hydrogen a key component of the energy system in the coming decades.