China Targets 1 Trillion Yuan Hydrogen Industry Under 15th Five-Year Plan

China leads the global hydrogen energy market in both production and consumption, with renewable hydrogen capacity accounting for more than 50 percent of the world total, according to the China Hydrogen Energy Development Report (2026) released by the National Energy Administration. The country's full hydrogen supply chain experienced rapid expansion in 2025, when operational renewable hydrogen capacity surpassed 250,000 metric tons per year, more than doubling from 2024.

Infrastructure construction expanded alongside output. By June 2026, China had constructed approximately 620 hydrogen refueling stations and commissioned more than 350 kilometers of pure hydrogen pipelines. The report noted that domestic technical and equipment developments across the supply chain, together with accelerated deployment pathways for green ammonia and green methanol, have expanded China's industrial presence.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), the report forecasts annual green hydrogen demand between 2.4 million and 4.3 million tons. Total output value across the entire industrial chain is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan ($139 billion) during this five-year window.

Over the next five years, hydrogen is planned to integrate into wider economic decarbonization efforts, focusing on heavy industry and transport transitions. The National Energy Administration report emphasized comprehensive regional development to connect storage and transportation infrastructure within the country's energy system.