Editorial | Prepare well so Hong Kong can benefit from hydrogen advances
- From local regulation and regional cooperation to more trials and financing, a clear road map is needed so Hong Kong can become a “showcase” on the hydrogen economy for the country
Moving ahead with the times may not necessarily be the Hong Kong government’s forte, though efforts have been made to narrow the gaps. The application of green hydrogen energy is a case in point.
After Beijing published an ambitious road map in 2020 to develop the hydrogen economy, local officials are catching up with a blueprint on the promising new energy, which, hopefully, will pave the way for its wider use in the city while helping reduce pollution and global warming.
Announcing the Hydrogen Strategy, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said the city should seize the opportunities arising from developments in the nation and elsewhere in the world on this front. This would not just help achieve carbon neutrality, but also spur innovation and new economic growth.
The plan involves legislative amendments in the first half of 2025 to provide a legal basis for regulating the manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of hydrogen as a fuel, and formulate a certification standard that aligns with international practices by 2027.
The city, officials say, also can become a showcase for hydrogen energy development in the country, capitalising on its strengths as a “superconnector” and “super value-adder” for potential overseas and mainland businesses in developing the new energy.
China’s ambitious drive on this front has given Hong Kong a strong footing to embrace the change. The mainland authorities further promulgated a medium- and long-term plan in 2022 to make hydrogen a key component of the national energy system in future.
