Archive addition: hydrogen pilot rules link support to measured use and product sales

The offices of China’s industry ministry, finance ministry and National Development and Reform Commission issued the comprehensive hydrogen pilot management rules under document 2026 No. 39 on 14 October 2026. Published on 16 October, they took effect upon issuance. Each city cluster’s four-year pilot begins on approval and covers technology development, industrial hydrogen, fuel-cell vehicles and refueling stations.

Participating vehicles, equipment and projects must connect to a management platform and submit operating information and relevant test reports. For green ammonia and methanol, hydrogen feedstock substitution, metallurgy and hydrogen blending, rewards depend on qualifying hydrogen use matched to actual downstream product sales. Hydrogen associated with unsold output becomes eligible for calculation only after the products are sold.

Clusters must prepare and submit self-assessments within 30 days of each year’s end. Scores below 60 fail the assessment and suspend that year’s reward disbursement. Cumulative central rewards are capped at RMB1.6 billion per cluster over the pilot, not per project. Hydrogen-application projects or products already supported by specified central investment or government-bond funding are excluded from this reward scheme.

The reporting annexes request technical, hydrogen-use, production and sales records. Pipeline hydrogen transport requires disclosure of material, transport pressure and pipe diameter. This entry preserves the original dates and documents existing policy; it is not a new project approval or equipment order.