China’s state-owned oil and company Sinopec will build a pipeline to transfer hydrogen from renewable energy projects in China’s north-western Inner Mongolia region to cities in the east, reported China’s state news agency Xinhua.

The pipeline will extend 400km from Ulanaqab in Inner Mongolia to the capital Beijing and will have an initial capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, said the Xinhua report.

The report added that ports will be built along the pipeline to enable access to new hydrogen sources.

China currently operates pipelines for grey hydrogen; this project will be the country’s first ‘West to East’ green hydrogen pipeline.

China’s largest hydrogen producer Sinopec announced this year plans to build a green hydrogen plant in the Inner Mongolian city of Ordos with an annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes. The oil and gas giant also launched a green hydrogen project in Kuqa in the western Xinjiang region in 2021.

The Chinese government announced last year a goal to produce 100,000 to 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per annum and about 50,000 hydrogen-fuelled vehicles by 2025 as part of the country’s ambitious plans to transition to renewable energy sources.