Construction Underway on World’s Largest Pure-Hydrogen Power Project in China
Inner Mongolia to host groundbreaking 30MW hydrogen turbine integrated with large-scale renewable energy storage
China has officially broken ground on what will become the world’s largest pure-hydrogen power project, marking a major milestone in the global clean energy transition. Led by Shenzhen Energy in partnership with technology innovator Mingyang, the project will showcase a cutting-edge 30MW hydrogen-fired turbine in the Otoke High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Ordos, Inner Mongolia.
Unlike previous hydrogen power initiatives, this pioneering facility will operate on 100% green hydrogen — produced exclusively from renewable energy sources — with no natural gas blend. The turbine forms part of a wider renewable energy storage demonstration project that integrates 500MW of wind power, a 5MW off-grid solar PV array, and approximately 240MW of electrolysers capable of generating up to 4.3 tonnes of green hydrogen per hour. Hydrogen will be stored on site in above-ground tanks before being combusted to deliver reliable, zero-carbon electricity during periods of low wind and solar output.
The project also includes a downstream ammonia plant with a production capacity of 150,000 tonnes per year, further expanding its clean energy and industrial impact.
While smaller-scale hydrogen turbines have been tested before — such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ 100% hydrogen demonstration in 2020 and Siemens’ SGT-400 turbine in 2023 — the Otoke project is the first to integrate hydrogen production, storage, and combustion with large-scale renewable generation in a single, fully connected system.
Advocates believe green hydrogen for power generation is essential for storing renewable energy over long durations — far beyond the capabilities of conventional batteries — to help balance seasonal fluctuations in wind and solar availability. Critics, however, note the efficiency losses inherent in hydrogen production, storage, and combustion.
Even so, the Otoke development represents a bold step forward in China’s hydrogen economy and underscores the country’s determination to lead in renewable energy innovation and large-scale hydrogen power integration.
