The forum is held in Baotou on April 15. [Photo/WeChat account of Baotou Daily]

A multitude of great ideas and pressing topics were presented at the 2023 China-Europe Hydrogen Energy Industry Forum, which was held in the city of Baotou, in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on April 15.

Some 200 participants from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and seven countries – including China, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK and Australia – took part, both on-site and online.

Speakers at the opening ceremony included Henrik Bruun Martens, commercial counsellor at Denmark's embassy in China; Grace Carey, minister counsellor at the UK embassy; Timo Verheij, climate counsellor at the Netherlands embassy; Gao Peng, senior commercial officer at the Norwegian embassy, as well as Jessica Brown, counselor for energy, resources and climate change at the Australian embassy in China.

Hydrogen energy has been planned for by China as an important part of its future national energy system.

The question is how to transform an energy advantage into an industrial advantage. Ten experts at home and abroad discussed the development of hydrogen energy technology and the practices of the sector in China and Europe in two keynote presentations.

Among topics examined was the Netherlands hydrogen industry and its development status, the research progress in sustainable hydrogen made by University of Nottingham Ningbo China – as well as IV cylinder technology and its application in heavy vehicles, buses, compressed natural gas and hydrogen transportation.

On the same day, the international demonstration zone of the hydrogen metallurgy and chemical industry, which has been planned for two years, was launched in Baotou.

When it starts operating in 2024, it will reduce coal consumption by an estimated 665,900 metric tons of standard coal annually and carbon dioxide emissions by 4.54 million tons.

Fu Xiaolong, director of the forum's guiding unit and project partner, said Baotou was chosen for the project because of its deep industrial base and abundant renewable energy.

"Next, we will appoint Baotou as the main venue to hold this forum every year and continue to explore a new and feasible path for the zero-carbon transformation of Baotou and the global industrial system," Fu said.