A staff member works at the new smart workshop of Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co Ltd in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Peng Chao/chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Jiangsu province, has seen a boom in the hydrogen energy industry in recent years, with more than 40 local companies involved in the sector, generating an annual output value of over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion).

Local officials said Zhangjiagang has established a relatively complete industrial chain for hydrogen production, storage, transportation, filling and utilization. Hydrogen energy is used in various scenarios in the city, such as public transportation, port operations and logistics.

Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co Ltd, a leading provider of integrated hydrogen energy solutions based in Zhangjiagang, has served more than 100 hydrogen refueling stations and supplied hydrogen systems for 7,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles since its establishment in June 2016.

Wei Wei, co-founder and chief strategy officer of the company, said it is set to launch the operation of its new smart workshop for hydrogen storage systems in June, with an annual production capacity of 60,000 hydrogen cylinders of 450 liters.

The 450-liter hydrogen cylinders will mainly be used for hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks, and five cylinders can allow a 49-ton truck to travel nearly 500 kilometers, she said.

A staff member works at the new smart workshop of Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co Ltd in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Peng Chao/chinadaily.com.cn]

The core equipment of a hydrogen liquefaction plant developed by the company that produces 10 tons of liquid hydrogen per day, the first of its kind in China, recently passed the first review meeting before the trial operation, Wei said.

The city is also home to several leading hydrogen production companies, such as Jiangsu Huachang Chemical Co Ltd. and Oriental Energy, with a maximum annual supply capacity of 200,000 metric tons of hydrogen.

Zhangjiagang will strive to attract more than 50 hydrogen energy companies by 2025, with an annual output value of over 20 billion yuan, local officials said.

A staff member works at the new smart workshop of Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co Ltd in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Peng Chao/chinadaily.com.cn]