By LI Linxu

In its latest push for the development of hydrogen energy, China has unveiled its first national-level guideline for the establishment of the industry's standards system.

The guideline was jointly released by six government bodies, including the National Standards Commission and the National Energy Administration.

By 2025, a standards system that covers the whole industry chain, including the production, storage, transport and use of hydrogen energy, will be basically established, according to the guideline, adding that more than 30 national or industrial standards will be formulated or revised.

A corner of Sinopec's Xinjiang Kuqa Green Hydrogen Pilot Project. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

More efforts will be made to speed up the formulation or revision of the standards in the industrial chain's key areas, such as hydrogen quality testing, hydrogen safety, high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels, hydrogen energy piping, hydrogen fuel cells, and fuel cell vehicles.

Enterprises, universities, institutes, and other stakeholders are urged to take part in the formulation of standards for the hydrogen energy industry.

Meanwhile, they are also encouraged to actively participate in the standardization work of the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, and to make proposals for international standards of the hydrogen energy industry.

As the first of its kind guideline at the national level, it is expected to pave the way for the rapid development of hydrogen industry chain in the future, according to a research note from Everbright Securities.

Hydrogen is a versatile source of energy with low carbon emissions and wide applications, playing an important role in the country's green and low-carbon transition.

China is the world's largest hydrogen producer and consumer, according to a white paper released by the World Economic Forum this June.

The guideline is a follow-up to the country's Medium and Long-Term Plan for the Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035), which set the establishment and improvement of the industry's standards system as one of its goals.