(Yicai) March 31 -- French industrial gas giant Air Liquide and its Chinese partners opened a CNY180 million (USD24.8 million) clean energy base in Shanghai to refuel over 1,000 hydrogen-powered trucks daily to support China's carbon neutrality goals.

The Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Air Liquide Shenergy Hydrogen Energy Development, a joint venture between Air Liquide China, local energy supplier Shenergy, and industrial park developer SCIP Investment, has started operations with an initial daily capacity of 12 tons of high-pressure hydrogen, Paris-headquartered Air Liquide announced recently. The total investment in the project amounts to CNY180 million.

Shanghai is advancing its green energy initiatives, including hydrogen, in pursuit of China’s climate goals -- peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. As of last month, the city had deployed nearly 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and 18 hydrogen refueling stations.

Based on a plan released in 2022, Shanghai aims to expand its hydrogen supply chain to exceed CNY100 billion (USD13.8 billion) this year. By 2035, the city plans to establish a national hydrogen hub encompassing research and development, core equipment manufacturing, and testing, along with diverse applications across industries such as transportation and energy.

Air Liquide stated that ALSHSN can support 12 hydrogen stations, facilitating the refueling of over 1,000 medium-to-heavy-duty trucks daily and driving the expansion of hydrogen mobility across Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta. The JV will supply hydrogen produced through a carbon dioxide recycling process at a local Air Liquide unit and will also source biomethane from Shenergy for partial production.

"The commissioning of ALSHSN demonstrates Air Liquide's expertise in building hydrogen infrastructure and reinforces our strong partnerships with local players, in this case Shenergy and SCIP, to drive the energy transition in China," said Rui Coelho, chief executive of Air Liquide China.

"Through utilizing abundant industrial byproduct resources, we will be able to deliver low-carbon hydrogen to the local market, to make mobility much more cleaner," he added.

Air Liquide, a global leader in industrial and medical gases with over 120 years of history, operates in 60 countries and employs 66,500 people. In China, it runs over 120 plants and has a workforce of more than 5,600, according to its website.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine