Changxing Island spearheads hydrogen energy revolution in Northeast Asia

The development of the hydrogen energy industry on Changxing Island has drawn significant attention both domestically and internationally. Starting in 2023, the Changxing Island Economic and Technological Development Zone has actively promoted the construction of a hydrogen-based energy center focused on Northeast Asia.

This includes establishing production, storage, transportation, trading, and refueling bases for green hydrogen and its derivative energy sources - green methanol, green ammonia, and green aviation kerosene, enhancing the Dalian international oil and gas center chain, and building the Dalian Northeast Asia Hydrogen-based Energy Center and Sea-land Channel.

In May 2023, Changxing Island launched an investment promotion campaign in collaboration with COSCO Shipping Group, engaging with energy companies such as CGN Power Co Ltd (CGN), Jilin Electric Power Co Ltd, and Japan's Mitsui & Co Ltd.

In December 2023, Changxing Island hosted a seminar for the hydrogen-based energy industry chain, inviting over 10 representatives from domestic and international companies to plan and promote the industry's development.

During the city's 2024 "two sessions", Changxing Island formally submitted a proposal to establish a hydrogen-based energy center aimed at Northeast Asia, which received strong support from local authorities.

In January 2024, several hydrogen-based energy industry chain projects were signed, including CGN’s GW-level green power hydrogen-ammonia-alcohol integration, and COSCO Shipping’s Xizhong Island chemical and new energy integrated logistics integration.

In February 2024, Changxing Island hosted the “Dalian Green Low-carbon Chemical Industry Cooperation Promotional Conference” in Tokyo, Japan, promoting hydrogen-based energy industry cooperation with Japan's Fortune 500 energy chemical companies and the world's top 50 chemical companies, attracting significant attention.

In March 2024, Changxing Island held the Dalian (Changxing Island) Northeast Asia Hydrogen-based Energy Center Industrial Chain Cooperation Forum in Shanghai, at which over 30 domestic and international related companies expressed their willingness to collaborate in developing hydrogen-based energy industry clusters.

In April 2024, Changxing Island initiated the Northeast Asia Green Ship Fuel Supply Chain Alliance in Liaoning province, establishing the alliance in Dalian.

Recently, the COSCO Shipping LPG and chemical fleet and Xizhong Island hydrogen-based energy warehousing and logistic integration project, with a total investment of approximately 24 billion yuan ($3.31 billion), was officially signed on Changxing Island. This project is expected to significantly enhance the sea and land channels for hydrogen-based new energy in eastern Inner Mongolia and Northeast China.

According to the agreement, the Changxing Island fleet of COSCO Shipping Investment Dalian Co Ltd will invest nearly 20 billion yuan over the next five years, adding 32 Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC) and other types of ships, thereby expanding the fleet to 44 ships and achieving the goal of becoming a "domestic first, internationally leading" gas chemical fleet.

In May of this year, the Changxing Island Economic and Technological Development Zone proposed initiatives to align with the country's "five major security" (political, economic, military, cultural, and social) and "dual carbon" strategies. These initiatives aim to seize trillion-dollar opportunities in the hydrogen-based energy industry and accelerate the cultivation of new high-quality productive forces. Leveraging the application scenarios and deep-water docks of the national petrochemical industry base, these initiatives seek to establish a leading position in the new energy sector.

The hydrogen-based energy industry is seen as a crucial driver for achieving the "dual carbon" goals and promoting the green transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure. Changxing Island will accelerate the creation of a pioneer demonstration zone for the entire hydrogen-based energy industrial chain, a hydrogen-based energy production, storage, transportation, and trading center focused on Northeast Asia, as well as a national methanol base.