Hong Kong took a pivotal step toward its carbon neutrality goal on Tuesday with the launch of the city’s first commercial hydrogen charging station.

The inaugural operation at the headquarters of Hong Kong and China Gas Company marked the commercial rollout of distributed hydrogen power generation in the city.

Jointly piloted by CIMC Enric and Hong Kong and China Gas, and approved by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s Environment and Ecology Bureau, the project addresses charging difficulties for electric vehicles in high-rise commercial buildings and eases peak pressure on Hong Kong’s power grid.

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Adopting a dual-skid modular design, the hydrogen power system features prefabricated equipment for fast on-site assembly. With a rated power output of 25 kilowatts and hydrogen consumption of 1.62 kilograms per hour, it delivers stable zero-carbon power for EV charging and emergency supply.

Based on an eight-hour daily operation, it is estimated to consume 5,000 kg of hydrogen annually, generate 70,000 kWh of electricity and cut carbon emissions by 39.9 tons a year.

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Hong Kong is pressing ahead with its carbon reduction drive, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality before 2050 and halving carbon emissions by 2035 compared with the 2005 level.

The government published the Climate Action Plan 2050 in October 2021, which outlines four major decarbonization strategies — net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com