Hong Kong can fulfil its hydrogen ambitions via Foshan, suggests start-up

Hong Kong’s uptake of hydrogen, hampered by limited supplies, high costs and infrastructure, can be solved by allowing logistics vehicles to fill up on the zero-emission fuel across the border, according to a start-up.

Qian Wei, founder and CEO of Hong Kong-based H2 Solution, which markets hydrogen fuel cell systems overseas, said the city can tap relatively cheaper hydrogen and refuelling infrastructure in Foshan, a two-hour drive northwest of Hong Kong and a major hydrogen production centre.

“Since starting commercial adoption of hydrogen in 2019, Foshan has learned some valuable lessons,” he told the InnoTech Forum last week, noting that Hong Kong can adopt best practices from Foshan without having to reinvent the wheel.

Hong Kong can do away with the hassle by integrating its hydrogen economy with the supply chain of the Greater Bay Area, where cities can leverage their strengths in production, distribution, application and technology development, he added.

Hong Kong’s first hydrogen refuelling station is being built by a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical (Sinopec) in the northwestern district of Yuen Long. It will be ready by the year-end.

The nation’s biggest fuel producer has built 128 stations in China, the most in the world, according to Aaron Yu, the deputy director of Sinopec Hong Kong.