Legislative Council members are urging Hong Kong to begin planning for hydrogen development, even though production of the fuel is not yet fully mature as the administration announces the city’s new Strategy for Hydrogen Development today.
The SAR administration will provide safety guidelines in its strategy outline for the development of hydrogen refueling facilities and hydrogen power generation.
The Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel, which is overseen by the Environment and Ecology Bureau, had given, by the end of March, approval in principle for 14 hydrogen fuel trial projects to proceed.
These trial projects include Citybus’ hydrogen buses and fueling stations at its West Kowloon depot, as well as hydrogen supply facilities at the Hong Kong and China Gas plant in Tai Po.
Upcoming projects expected this year include three street sweepers, Sinopec Group’s first public hydrogen refueling station in Yuen Long and MTR Corp’s hydrogen-powered light rail vehicle.
However, Zhang Xinyu, a member of Legco’s environmental affairs panel, said that the current trial projects are using “gray hydrogen” produced from fossil fuels, which still results in emissions.
He said zero-emission “green hydrogen” technology is not yet mature.
Nevertheless, Zhang agreed that the SAR administration should proactively prepare for hydrogen developments, rather than just “sit back and wait” for other regions to show initiative.
“We should simultaneously focus on preparations such as technology application to timely respond to the latest developments,” Zhang said.
Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said that the MTRC would also test hydrogen-powered heavy rail vehicles instead of just light rail vehicles.
But he said the attractiveness of different hydrogen transport options would depend on the pace of research, development and improvements in both hydrogen and electric technologies.
