Govt formulates interim standards for hydrogen applications to facilitate green transportation

The Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong will be revised in the first half of next year to facilitate hydrogen transportation and use, the government announced on Monday.

The Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said authorities will adopt the four major strategies of improving legislation, establishing standards, aligning with the market, and advancing with prudence to create an environment conducive to the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong in a prudent and orderly manner.

Tse pointed out that in the Hydrogen Strategy, the government will introduce legislative amendments in the first half of 2025 to provide a legal basis for regulating the manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of hydrogen used or intended to be used as fuel and formulate the approach for certifying a hydrogen standard that aligns with international practices by 2027.

Authorities will also try out three hydrogen street-washing vehicles in the second half of 2024 in North and Yuen Long Districts, Tse added.

The environmental chief stated that the government will expand the roles and functions of the Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel that was set up in 2022, to include examining and approving future trial projects, assisting in the promotion of the popularization of hydrogen applications, regularly reviewing the implementation progress, updating the Hydrogen Strategy, etc.

Tse also pointed out that the Working Group has assisted in formulating interim standards for hydrogen applications in Hong Kong and has given agreement-in-principle to 14 projects, which include cross-boundary hydrogen transportation, supply facilities, as well as applications in transport, construction sites, remote areas, etc., that have commenced progressively.

Citybus welcomed the strategy, stating that with a well-defined roadmap and regulatory framework in place, taking learning from established operations in the mainland and other countries, supported by relevant hydrogen funding and subsidies, Hong Kong can rapidly become a leading new energy technology hub globally, adding that they plan to establish a high-quality clean hydrogen ecosystem.