On April 25th, during the 6th Double Smart Expo, the China-South Korea Hydrogen Energy International Cooperation and Exchange Conference was held in Wuhan. Experts from the government and enterprises of China and South Korea engaged in dialogue on cooperation throughout the entire hydrogen energy industry chain. This conference focused on the development of the hydrogen energy industry, technology application, and international cooperation, promoting consensus on cooperation such as technology alignment, standard co-construction, and green electricity hydrogen production between China and South Korea. Inject impetus into the global hydrogen energy industry chain's collaboration and market interconnection.

Yoon Gi-seop, director of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency's Wuhan-Korea Trade Center, said that through this conference, an opportunity for hydrogen energy exchanges and cooperation between China and South Korea has been created. China is actively practicing the "dual carbon" goals. Its investment in the clean energy market ranks among the top in the world. Throughout the entire process of hydrogen production, storage and use, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency will actively identify South Korean enterprises that cooperate with China and jointly promote the common development of hydrogen energy in China and South Korea.

Huang Feng, a member of the Party Committee and deputy general Manager of Wuhan City Investment Group Corporation, and the Party Secretary and Chairman of Wuhan Energy Group Corporation, said in his speech that hydrogen energy, as a globally recognized clean energy source, is reshaping the world's energy landscape. China and South Korea both have profound technological accumulation and broad market prospects in the field of hydrogen energy. This conference, with the themes of integration, innovation and ecology, is not only a technological choice that conforms to the development trend of the market, but also a vivid practice of the two countries joining hands to address energy challenges and jointly plan a green future.

Huang Feng, a member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Wuhan City Investment Group Corporation, and the Party Secretary and Chairman of Wuhan Energy Group Corporation

Yoon Gi-seop, director of the Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency's Wuhan Korea Trade Center

China and South Korea jointly build technical standards to explore the path of full-chain cooperation in hydrogen energy

At this conference, Oh In-jun, a researcher from the Korea Hydrogen Alliance, shared the situation and policies of the hydrogen energy industry in South Korea. Since 2018, South Korea has elevated hydrogen energy to a core national strategy. As of April 2025, it has built 407 hydrogen refueling stations and has 34,000 hydrogen vehicles in use (accounting for 40.5% of the global total), maintaining a leading position globally in the transportation sector.

At the meeting, Han Karan, the deputy director of the Wuhan Representative Office of the Korea External Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) of South Korea, systematically introduced the H2MEET exhibition. This exhibition is the world's most influential, South Korea's largest and most professional event in the hydrogen energy industry, covering the entire industrial chain from hydrogen production, storage and transportation, hydrogen refueling station construction to the application of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Concentrate on showcasing cutting-edge equipment, technologies and specialized materials.

Han Kalan stated that the global hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicle industry is accelerating its development, but there are still a series of bottleneck problems. It is necessary for all parties around the world to work together and actively assist Chinese enterprises in participating in the 2025 H2MEET exhibition. Through the exhibition platform, the cooperation between the two countries in areas such as hydrogen energy technology innovation, market expansion, and standard co-construction should be deepened, and a full-chain cooperation path for hydrogen energy should be explored. Help achieve global energy transition and low-carbon goals.

Han Ling, the CEO of Wuhan Future Smart Innovation Comprehensive Energy Service Co., LTD., shared her experience of being invited by the South Korean government twice to attend the Korea International Hydrogen Energy Exhibition and Summit Forum, conducting in-depth investigations into South Korean hydrogen energy enterprises, and thoroughly analyzing the global development trends of hydrogen energy and the practical paths of China and South Korea. She pointed out that the global demand for clean energy transition has driven the rapid development of hydrogen energy technology. China's hydrogen energy industry is also developing at a high speed, with application scenarios covering public transportation, logistics and passenger vehicles. However, the transformation from traditional energy stations to comprehensive energy stations still needs to be led by new quality productivity to innovate, break through technical bottlenecks, and achieve a balance between investment and profit. The Yangluo International Port Comprehensive Energy Station Project in Wuhan Yangtze River New Area is a key demonstration project in response to the national energy strategy and the three-year action plan for hydrogen energy in Hubei Province and Wuhan City. Its completion will enhance the comprehensive energy support and hydrogen energy logistics distribution in the area and restructure the hydrogen energy corridor of the International Port. The comprehensive energy station will enhance technical exchanges with South Korean hydrogen energy enterprises. Through in-depth cooperation between China and South Korea, this project will provide a practical sample for the high-quality development of hydrogen energy application terminals in China.

Wuhan is creating a benchmark for hydrogen energy innovation to accelerate the implementation of application scenarios

At the meeting, E Xuejin, a fourth-level researcher from the Industry Division of the Wuhan Municipal Development and Reform Commission, expounded on the current status, challenges and future plans of the hydrogen energy industry in our city. In recent years, Wuhan has provided strong support for the construction of hydrogen energy infrastructure through policies such as operation subsidies for hydrogen refueling stations (up to 1.5 million yuan per year), construction subsidies (2 million yuan per station), and subsidies for hydrogen production equipment (up to 2 million yuan). The output value of hydrogen energy has been continuously growing, reaching 4.8 billion yuan, 6 billion yuan and 6.7 billion yuan respectively from 2022 to 2024. A total of 709 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have been promoted and applied, covering commuter vehicles, buses, sanitation vehicles and logistics vehicles. However, it still faces challenges such as high hydrogen production and transportation costs, few application scenarios and insufficient industrial chain synergy.

Next, Wuhan City will accelerate the improvement of policy support, increase financial input and optimize the industrial environment. Support the construction of the standard system and testing capabilities, and promote the construction of hydrogen energy industrial parks to accelerate the development of industrial clusters. Expand diversified application scenarios, reduce hydrogen usage costs, and build a more resilient hydrogen supply network.

Wuhan Gas Group Co., Ltd. expounded on the strategic significance, technical path and Wuhan practice of the integrated development of hydrogen energy and natural gas. The group has proposed the "pipeline hydrogen blending" technical path, which involves blending 3% to 20% green hydrogen into the existing natural gas pipeline network, with an annual emission reduction potential of over 140,000 tons. This solution can dynamically adapt to the demands of multiple scenarios such as industry and civil use, and its transportation cost is only 40% of that of dedicated hydrogen pipelines. At present, Wuhan is drawing on the mature experience of Europe and plans to pilot hydrogen-blended transportation in the Optics Valley area in 2025. At the same time, it is developing a renovation plan for hydrogen-blended combustion equipment, overcoming technical bottlenecks such as nozzle ablation, and promoting the "Hydrogen into Every Household" plan.

The China-South Korea Hydrogen Energy International Cooperation and Exchange Conference held based on the "Double Intelligence" platform is a deep dialogue between China and South Korea on the scenario-based application and commercial development of hydrogen energy. It has contributed to Wuhan's efforts to break through in hydrogen energy scenarios and achieve industrial landing, and has also enabled the "Double Intelligence" brand to steadily advance on the path of internationalization.