Hydrogen energy, a clean energy source that produces only water as an emission, is accelerating its transition from laboratories and industrial workshops to everyday life. Earlier this year, the Outline of the 15th Five‑Year Plan officially listed hydrogen as an industry of the future. Guangdong has taken the lead, turning hydrogen from a luxury into a daily necessity.

Today, more than 4,300 hydrogen fuel‑cell vehicles are operating on the streets of Guangzhou, the highest number among Chinese cities. Visually indistinguishable from conventional petrol or electric cars, these hydrogen‑powered refrigerated trucks take just 5 to 10 minutes to refuel and offer a range of up to 500 kilometers. They overcome the drawbacks of electric vehicles, such as slow charging times and limited driving range, while eliminating the tailpipe emissions associated with diesel vehicles.

Land transport remains the most mature application area for hydrogen. Beyond the refrigerated trucks shuttling  through city streets, Yuntao Hydrogen Energy has put into operation multiple models including 31‑ton dump trucks and 18‑ton logistics vehicles. Among key technical indicators, the company's hydrogen-powered heavy‑duty trucks have set an industry record with a degradation rate of only 3.5% after 300,000 kilometers of operation. Hyundai Motor Group, meanwhile, has chosen Guangzhou for its first overseas hydrogen fuel‑cell system production, R&D and sales base, having already deployed over 1,200 hydrogen vehicles and attracted dozens of upstream and downstream enterprises to invest in Guangdong.

Currently, hydrogen applications in Guangdong are expanding into a diverse range of scenarios. In the low‑altitude economy, a hydrogen‑powered multi‑rotor drone developed by Guangzhou Power Supply Bureau has been deployed for powerline inspection. With operating times surpassing those of lithium battery-powered drones, it can operate continuously throughout the day, covering an inspection area equivalent to the work of 20 line inspectors in a single day. In the maritime transportation sector, the "Yuntao No. 1," the country's largest hydrogen-powered vessel developed by Yuntao Hydrogen, is scheduled to officially launch soon. The project will fill a technological gap in China's large hydrogen-powered cargo vessel sector.

广东“氢风”加速吹入街头巷尾

氢能这种燃烧产物只有水的清洁能源，正加速从实验室和工厂车间进入日常生活。今年年初，国家“十五五”规划纲要将氢能正式列入未来产业目录。广东率先突围，让氢能一步步从“奢侈品”变成“日用品”。

如今，广州街头已有超过4300辆氢燃料电池汽车上路运营，数量居全国城市首位。从外观上看，它们和普通燃油车、电动车没什么两样，但氢能冷链车加氢只需5到10分钟，续航可达500公里，既规避了电动车充电慢、续航短的短板，又告别了柴油车的尾气污染。

陆路交通是当前氢能应用最成熟的场景。除街头穿梭的氢能冷链车外，云韬氢能已批量投运31吨自卸车、18吨物流车等多款车型，在应用场景的关键技术指标中，该公司的氢能重卡创下30万公里衰减率仅3.5%的行业纪录。韩国现代汽车集团则将海外首个氢燃料电池系统生产、研发、销售基地落户广州，已推广1200多辆氢能车辆，带动数十家上下游企业来粤投资。

当前，氢能在广东的应用场景正向立体化拓展。在低空经济领域，广州供电局研发的氢动力多旋翼无人机已投入线路巡检，续航能力远超锂电池无人机，可实现全天连续作业，单日巡线面积相当于20个巡线员的工作量。在海洋航运领域，云韬氢能研发的全国最大氢动力船舶“云韬一号”将于近日正式下水，此举将填补国内大吨位氢动力货船领域的技术空白。

文丨记者 董鹏程
翻译丨魏薇
审校 | 曾敏