Coal-rich Shanxi province has been promoting the hydrogen industry as one of its 10 key industrial chains to help reform the way energy is produced and used while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions. 

As an important energy and industrial base, the province has abundant hydrogen energy resources at low costs. It has initially developed industries such as hydrogen production, storage, transportation, fuel cell technology, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production. 

However, Shanxi is still in the early stage of cultivating its hydrogen energy industry. It faces challenges such as a shortage of leading enterprises, inadequate infrastructure, the need for breakthroughs in core technologies, weak manufacturing capabilities for key equipment, and an incomplete policy and institutional framework. 

To address these issues, the province issued a medium- and long-term plan for developing its hydrogen energy industry last year. The plan focuses on the entire hydrogen energy chain, and aims to break through key technologies, enhance independent and controllable equipment capabilities, and promote the deep integration and innovation of the industrial chain from 2022-35. 

According to the plan, Shanxi will promote the establishment of innovative platforms by partnering with well-known institutions and enterprises, strengthening basic research, key technology research, and disruptive technology innovation, and establishing a more collaborative and efficient innovation system. 

The province will support the construction of hydrogen energy technology innovation platforms such as engineering research centers, key laboratories, and enterprise technology centers.

Furthermore, it encourages key hydrogen energy enterprises to create innovation hubs in regions such as the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and to carry out project cooperation, technological innovation, and the introduction of talents.