About this report
The International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (IHFCA) presents Global Hydrogen Transportation Pathways Analysis: China’s Medium- and Long-Term Hydrogen Supply–Demand Dynamics and Trade Outlook. The report examines how hydrogen transportation can connect geographically dispersed production and demand, and how infrastructure and international trade may support the development of low-carbon hydrogen markets. Against this backdrop, the report adopts a global perspective while placing China at the center of its analysis, given the country’s pivotal role in the hydrogen economy and the broader implications of its energy transition for international hydrogen transportation and trade.
As the world’s largest hydrogen producer and consumer, China faces a transition from a predominantly fossil-based, locally balanced system toward one increasingly shaped by renewable energy resources and new applications. Using supply–demand scenarios for 2035 and 2060, the report assesses changes in production and consumption patterns across provinces, highlighting the growing geographical mismatch between resource-rich regions and major industrial and coastal demand centers.
The report compares different hydrogen transportation pathways, including dedicated hydrogen pipelines and ammonia- and methanol-based transport options. Through techno-economic assessments, it examines how distance, delivery scale, infrastructure utilization, and end-use requirements influence costs and competitiveness, identifying the conditions under which different pathways may serve specific markets.
The analysis also explores international trade in hydrogen-derived products, focusing on ammonia and methanol shipments from the Middle East to China’s coastal markets. It evaluates trade competitiveness through production and delivery costs, shipping logistics, terminal processing, carbon intensity, and certification requirements, while considering how imports could complement domestic hydrogen supply.
Building on these findings, the report outlines a phased development roadmap through 2060, identifying priorities for transportation infrastructure, market coordination, and the integration of domestic supply networks with international trade. It aims to inform policymakers, industry stakeholders, investors, and research institutions, with detailed methodologies, scenario assumptions, and techno-economic parameters provided in the accompanying annex.