China's most populous city, Chongqing, has announced a major investment exceeding 8.3 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) to develop a hydrogen corridor connecting it to Chengdu, roughly 300 kilometers away. The plans, unveiled at a high-level meeting, include the launch of 37 hydrogen projects and application scenarios, and the establishment of a "hydrogen industry ecosystem alliance" for the "Chengdu-Chongqing Hydrogen Corridor."

Project Scope and Key Players

The initiative focuses on transport and infrastructure, with no explicit reference to green hydrogen or climate benefits, suggesting the use of grey or by-product hydrogen. The projects cover hydrogen purification, storage, transport, refuelling, and end use. Key state-owned enterprises are involved: Qingling Group will supply hydrogen-powered trucks; Chongqing Machinery & Electronics will focus on R&D for technologies like liquid organic hydrogen carriers; Chongqing Chemical and Pharmaceutical Group will build hydrogen purification units with an annual capacity of about 2,700 tonnes; and Chongqing Bank will provide financial leasing services for the trucks to enable large-scale operations with smaller upfront investment.

Infrastructure and Existing Network

State-owned transport infrastructure companies, including Shudao Group, Chongqing Expressway Group, and Hubei Communications Investment Group, signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the joint construction and sharing of the express hydrogen corridor. An existing hydrogen refuelling station on the Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway, operated by a subsidiary of Chongqing Expressway Group, has already refuelled more than 350 vehicles and dispensed over 12 tonnes of hydrogen. This corridor is part of a broader national strategy, joining at least three other established intercity hydrogen corridors in China: Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta.