During a September 9 press conference for the "Myriad Views of Sichuan: Starting Strong for the 15th Five-Year Plan" series held in Guangyuan, Vice Mayor Zhang Xuntu outlined the city's strategic vision for future industries, revealing plans to actively build Sichuan's "Hydrogen Port."
So what exactly is this "Hydrogen Port"? The answer lies in a provincial blueprint. The Sichuan Provincial Hydrogen Energy Industry Medium and Long-term Development Plan (2025-2035) explicitly proposes leveraging the port advantages of riverside cities including Luzhou, Guangyuan, Nanchong, and Yibin to demonstrate hydrogen-powered port logistics and hydrogen-powered vessels, creating the "Hydrogen Port" of Sichuan.
According to a representative from the Guangyuan Economic and Information Technology Bureau, the "Hydrogen Port" is not a traditional cargo terminal. Instead, it leverages the existing port areas in Lizhou, Zhaohua, and Cangxi to transform short-haul logistics vehicles and ship power systems within the ports, replacing conventional fuel systems with hydrogen power. This initiative aims to create a green port fully powered by hydrogen across all port operations.
Guangyuan's ambition to transform a provincial plan statement into a concrete urban industrial goal is backed by its abundant resources and industrial foundation. An analysis by the Guangyuan Economic and Information Technology Bureau indicates the city possesses rich hydropower, wind, solar, coal, and natural gas resources. The region has a technically exploitable hydropower capacity of 2.326 million kilowatts, a wind energy capacity of 5.13 million kilowatts, and receives nearly 900 hours of effective annual solar radiation. This makes it one of the provinces' more favorable areas for sunlight exposure, apart from the "three prefectures and one city" (Ganzi, Aba, Liangshan, and Panzhihua). The city is also accelerating the construction of a 10-billion-cubic-meter natural gas production base and an energy security base for the Chengdu-Chongqing region. With the completion and operation of the Sichuan Energy Investment Guangyuan Gas Turbine Project and the accelerating China Coal Guangyuan Coal-Power Integration Project, the city is securing resource advantages for future hydrogen production through purification of chemical byproducts and renewable energy-based water electrolysis. These natural assets suggest that Guangyuan not only holds a strategic location advantage but also possesses the industrial potential to become a low-cost hydrogen supply base.
Building on this foundation, Guangyuan has already made strategic moves to position itself along the hydrogen industry chain.
Strategic Move One: Securing a Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Materials Base to Fill the Storage Gap
On October 31, 2025, Guangyuan Development Group signed agreements with Beijing Yong Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Yong Hydrogen New Energy Co., Ltd., officially establishing a high-density solid-state hydrogen storage materials production base in Guangyuan. According to plans, the facility will house a production line for 10,000 aluminum alloy low-pressure, high-density solid-state hydrogen storage cylinders annually, an assembly line for 2,000 vehicle and vessel power systems per year, and a production line for 500 comprehensive energy management systems per year. These three production lines cover everything from core hydrogen storage equipment to end-use application systems and energy management platforms, effectively filling a critical gap in Guangyuan's hydrogen industry chain – the storage segment.
Strategic Move Two: Pioneering the Green Hydrogen Corridor, Establishing Guangyuan as a Key Refueling Node
In March 2026, during the 2026 Hydrogen Energy Industry Conference and Sichuan Province Hydrogen Industry Chain Supply-Demand Matchmaking Meeting, it was announced that with the completion of the Guangyuan Lingbao Hydrogen Production and Refueling Integrated Station, the "Chengdu-Deyang-Mianyang-Guangyuan" green hydrogen corridor was officially established. This marks the full opening of a major northward hydrogen energy transport route in Sichuan. The 30 hydrogen-powered buses about to commence operations in Guangyuan will be fully supported by this new infrastructure, and the hydrogen route will also extend its reach northward to link up with Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.
Strategic Move Three: Guangyuan's Solid-State Storage Products Showcase at International Exhibition, Nearly 90% as Industry Premieres
In March 2026, at the Beijing International Hydrogen Energy Technology Equipment Exhibition, Guangyuan Development Group displayed a range of products including various specifications of low-pressure, high-density solid-state hydrogen storage cylinders, hydrogen-powered two-wheelers, integrated hydrogen production and refueling machines, as well as hydrogen sightseeing vehicles, off-road vehicles, and forklifts. Nearly 90% of these exhibits were exclusive industry premieres.
With these initial strategic deployments underway, how does Guangyuan plan to systematically advance? The Guangyuan Economic and Information Technology Bureau has outlined a clear roadmap. Leveraging its abundant hydropower, wind, solar, and natural gas resources, the city will actively develop industrial by-product hydrogen, renewable-based hydrogen, and biomass hydrogen to establish a clean, low-cost hydrogen supply base. Capitalizing on its unique location and multi-dimensional transportation network, Guangyuan will build hydrogen-based energy transmission pipelines to serve as a regional hydrogen supply hub for the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, radiating to Shaanxi and Gansu. The city will also implement its designated node role on the "Chengdu-Deyang-Mianyang-Guangyuan" and "Chengdu-Leshan-Mianyang-Guangyuan" green hydrogen corridors, focusing on developing "hydrogen ports plus heavy-load logistics" application scenarios and exploring a diverse range of demonstration applications. Additionally, Guangyuan will accelerate the development of hydrogen fuel cells, high-density solid-state storage materials, storage containers, electrolyzers, and other hydrogen equipment manufacturing industries.
A representative from the Guangyuan Economic and Information Technology Bureau stated, "The ultimate goal is to achieve a hydrogen production capacity of 1,500 tons per year by 2030, essentially completing the 'Hydrogen Port' and solidifying its position as the core hub of the province's green hydrogen corridor."