Sinopec has reportedly connected existing regional hydrogen routes between Shanghai and Wuhan, where it says it operates 146 refuelling stations and 11 supply centres. For comparison, there are 156 hydrogen stations open across Europe, according to H2Live.
The vehicles departed the Qingwei Integrated Energy Station in Shanghai and travelled upstream along the Yangtze River, passing through Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Hubei, before arriving at the Zhijiang Service Area.
Sinopec has framed the corridor as part of its Hydrogen Highway plan, developed in collaboration with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).
“To further integrate hydrogen mobility across eastern and western regions, Sinopec has connected the Shanghai-Jiaxing-Ningbo and Wuhan-Yichang intercity corridors through the Yangtze River hydrogen corridor,” China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation stated.
“The company also plans to extend the network to the Chengdu-Chongqing corridor, fully establishing the Yangtze River hydrogen axis and enabling more hydrogen-powered vehicles to travel on highways with confidence.”
However, while Sinopec claims to be the world’s largest operator of hydrogen refuelling stations, with an annual hydrogen production capacity of 4.45 million tonnes, China’s wider transport push still faces a significant infrastructure gap.
gasworld Intelligence data shows that only 390 hydrogen refuelling stations were operational nationwide as of mid-2025 – well below the 1,200 targeted by 2026 and far short of the 100,000 required to support projected 2050 demand.
China’s hydrogen transport push faces station shortfall
China has emerged as the world’s most advanced market for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), building on decades of state support, an established electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing base, and increasing investment in green hydrogen. While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) dominate today’s EV landscape, China is positioning FCEVs as a complementary solution, particularly for heavy-duty transport where BEVs face range and payload limitations.
Here, gasworld Intelligence traces the evolution of China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) strategy – from early policy and R&D programmes in the 1990s to today’s growing FCE truck market. It analyses key policies, infrastructure development, deployment data and market dynamics shaping the hydrogen mobility sector.
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