China Unveils Hydrogen-Centric Blueprint to Scale NEV Trucks to 40% by 2030

Recently, the Ministry of Transport and ten other departments jointly issued the Implementation Plan for Scaling Up New Energy Heavy-Duty Truck Applications (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), positioning hydrogen energy as one of the core technical pathways. Through multi-dimensional deployment in infrastructure layout, safety regulations, and policy support, the Plan aims to accelerate the large-scale application of hydrogen energy in new energy heavy-duty trucks, supporting the transportation sector’s dual carbon goals (carbon peak and carbon neutrality).

1.Hydrogen Infrastructure Deployment Targets

The Plan sets a target of 40% penetration rate and over 1.6 million units in fleet size for new energy heavy-duty trucks by 2030, with hydrogen infrastructure as a critical enabler: 

Strategic hydrogen station layout: Scientific planning of hydrogen refueling stations and green fuel refueling stations in key scenarios. During highway infrastructure upgrades, hydrogen stations, integrated hydrogen production-refueling stations, and other facilities must be developed with "simultaneous planning, design, and construction" alongside main projects.

Zero-carbon transport corridors: Establish 30,000 km of zero-carbon highway transport corridors along major national expressways, supported by approximately 3,000 heavy-duty truck charging/swapping stations and hydrogen facilities, forming a coordinated "vehicle-road-energy-cloud" system.

2.Safety and Regulatory Framework

Safety distance requirements: Heavy-duty truck parking and charging/swapping facilities must maintain safe distances from fuel stations, hydrogen stations, and densely populated areas within highway service zones to mitigate risks.

Comprehensive oversight: Implement regular safety inspections for refueling infrastructure and enforce full-process safety management for hydrogen station equipment selection, construction, and operations.

3.Policy and Financial Support System

Fiscal incentives: Mobilize funding to support hydrogen heavy-duty truck procurement and refueling station construction. Local governments are encouraged to utilize special-purpose bonds, financing guarantees, and green credit tools. Demand charges for centralized charging/swapping facilities will be waived until 2030, reducing operational costs.

Pilot projects: Launch national "transport强国" (transport power) pilot programs to test innovative models like integrated "solar-storage-charging (swapping)-discharging" hydrogen infrastructure and direct green power connections, generating replicable experiences.

4.Application Scenarios Expansion

Long-haul transport: Promote hydrogen heavy-duty trucks for bulk cargo transport in high-emission sectors (mining, steel, etc.), focusing on routes like "coal transport from Xinjiang," "coal transport from Shanxi-Shaanxi-Inner Mongolia," and "grain transport from north to south" to build zero-carbon freight corridors.

Short-haul substitution: Scale up hydrogen truck adoption in ports, mines, and industrial zones, targeting over 80% hydrogen truck penetration in key regions like the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and Fenwei Plain.

5.Technology Innovation and Standardization

R&D priorities: Support critical technology development for hydrogen trucks and refueling systems, integrating vehicle-grid interaction and smart microgrids to enhance efficiency and safety.

Unified standards: Accelerate the formulation of standards for hydrogen station construction and safety testing, ensuring interoperability of interfaces and communication protocols across brands and vehicle types.

Implementation Outlook

The Plan marks the first national-level systematic roadmap for hydrogen heavy-duty trucks, adopting a "infrastructure-first, scenario-driven, policy-backed" strategy to resolve the "vehicles without stations" bottleneck. With the rollout of 30,000 km of zero-carbon corridors and 3,000 refueling nodes, hydrogen trucks will transition from pilot projects to full-scale applications in long-haul logistics and regional transport, significantly advancing transportation decarbonization while catalyzing the hydrogen equipment and green hydrogen production industries.