China has officially approved a significant green hydrogen pipeline project led by Sinopec, set to transport clean energy from Inner Mongolia to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. This initiative marks a crucial step in China's efforts to advance large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure and explore integrated commercial models for hydrogen energy.

The pipeline's Inner Mongolia section has received official approval from the region's Energy Bureau, making it China's first long-distance, large-scale green hydrogen pipeline. The project is being developed by Sinopec Star (Inner Mongolia) West-to-East Hydrogen Transmission New Energy Co., Ltd.

The pipeline is designed to transport up to 100,000 tonnes of wind-powered hydrogen annually from Sinopec's 1GW green hydrogen production project in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, to its Yanshan petrochemical plant in Beijing. This green hydrogen will be utilized for various industrial processes at the Beijing plant, including hydrotreating feedstocks, hydrogenation reactions, impurity removal, and as a fuel or reducing agent in chemical processes. It also aims to promote large-scale green hydrogen transmission and pilot an integrated commercial model covering production, storage, transportation, and utilization.

The approved Inner Mongolia section specifically spans about 119 kilometers. With a total length of approximately 400 kilometers, the estimated capacity is 100,000 metric tons per year in the near term, with a reserved capacity of 500,000 metric tons per year for long-term expansion. It is set to be completed by December 2027.

This pipeline is a national-level experimental demonstration project and a key green hydrogen export initiative for Inner Mongolia's burgeoning green hydrogen transmission pipeline network.