从干线重卡到氢冶金：氢的规模化应用卡在储运与加注两个技术环节From mainline heavy trucks to hydrogen metallurgy: the large-scale application of hydrogen is stuck at the two technical stages of storage and transportation and refueling

The large-scale application of hydrogen is moving from demonstration to engineering, but constraints in two areas have almost simultaneously emerged. One is storage, transportation, and refueling, and the other is the lightweighting of hydrogen storage systems. On November 2, 2026, the website of the Beijing Municipal Government published a report on the carbon reduction practices of the Energy Valley in the Future Science City, revealing that the "Beijing Hydrogen Energy Industry Development Implementation Plan (2026–2030)" lists 15 items, including low-hydrogen-consumption gas hydrogen heavy trucks and long-range liquid hydrogen heavy trucks, as key core technology research projects. The 2026 Energy Transition Conference was held in Changping, Beijing, from November 7 to 8. A set of vehicle data released on the same day is quite representative: the Beiqi Foton Kawn Star Sea liquid hydrogen heavy truck has an aerodynamic drag coefficient as low as 0.28, more than 40% lower than that of a traditional flat-front cab. It is equipped with two stainless steel liquid hydrogen tanks that can store about 80 kilograms of liquid hydrogen. At an average speed of 80 miles per hour, the hydrogen consumption is under 7 kilograms per 100 kilometers, with a range of over 1,000 kilometers. The shortcomings, however, are also publicly acknowledged: the supporting infrastructure for liquid hydrogen refueling stations is inadequate. Vehicle parameters: how hydrogen consumption and range are calculated.

First, let's break down this set of parameters. The 80 kilograms of liquid hydrogen corresponds to the effective capacity of the tank; the hydrogen storage density of liquid hydrogen is much higher than that of gaseous high-pressure hydrogen, which is the physical basis for long-range travel. The hydrogen consumption of 7 kilograms per 100 kilometers represents the average consumption in high-speed operating conditions, supporting a range of over 1,000 kilometers. A drag coefficient of 0.28 reflects the contribution in terms of aerodynamics, which is more than a 40% reduction compared to traditional flat-nose cabins. These three parameters form a complete engineering loop: the tank determines how far you can go, the hydrogen consumption determines the cost of traveling that distance, and the drag determines how much this cost is amplified at high speeds.

The aspect of air resistance deserves a separate discussion. Trunk line logistics heavy trucks operate at high speeds and long distances, and the work done by air resistance accounts for a much higher proportion of total energy consumption than in urban conditions. Reducing the drag coefficient from the level of a flat-front cab to 0.28 is equivalent to continuously reducing energy consumption under the same load and road conditions. According to a public report on the website of the Beijing Municipal People's Government on November 2, 2026, Guo Fenggang, Party Secretary and President of Beiqi Foton Engineering Research Institute, introduced that Beiqi Foton is developing a flagship zero-carbon heavy truck for medium- and long-distance trunk line logistics, the Kaven Star Hai liquid hydrogen heavy truck. They are collaborating with research institutions to tackle full-chain liquid hydrogen technology, integrating Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei industrial resources to create an innovative industry cluster for hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles, with a five-year plan to promote over 7,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles.

But we must also see the boundary conditions expressed publicly. The liquid hydrogen tank can store about 80 kilograms of liquid hydrogen, which is the physical limit of the tank, consumption of less than 7 kilograms of hydrogen per 100 kilometers is the level in high-speed operating scenarios, and a range of over 1000 kilometers is the result supported by these two conditions together. All three of these numbers are based on the assumption that the 'liquid hydrogen refueling station' infrastructure is complete. Guo Fenggang clearly explained that currently, hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles still face problems such as high industry chain costs and incomplete liquid hydrogen refueling station infrastructure. The tank volume can be controlled on the vehicle side, but the density of refueling stations cannot be, which is precisely where the scaling of hydrogen heavy trucks is constrained.

Lightweight hydrogen storage tanks: one ton of vehicle weight exchanged for one ton of carrying capacity

If hydrogen refueling stations are considered external constraints, then the weight of the hydrogen storage system is the most direct internal efficiency lever for the vehicle. Tian Jianguang, Assistant General Manager of Rongcheng New Energy Group, introduced that the group is working with more than ten leading companies in the industry chain to promote a full-chain liquid hydrogen demonstration project, covering all aspects of hydrogen liquefaction, low-temperature storage and transportation, refueling, and hydrogen-powered heavy truck applications. Beijing Tianhai Industry will provide liquid hydrogen storage tanks; the cooperation between the two parties started at the end of 2024, taking the lead in the industry by applying 'Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders' in batches to replace traditional 'Type III hydrogen storage cylinders.' Type III hydrogen storage cylinders have aluminum liners and are relatively heavy; Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders have plastic liners, which are significantly advantageous in terms of weight reduction. Tian Jianguang explained that for long-haul logistics heavy trucks, reducing the vehicle's weight by one ton means it can carry an additional ton of cargo per trip.

The technical logic here is straightforward: the weight of the tank itself accounts for part of the vehicle's curb weight, and the curb weight directly reduces payload capacity while also increasing rolling resistance and energy consumption. Replacing the aluminum liner of Type 4 cylinders with a plastic liner results in weight reduction that directly translates into transport capacity, and in ton-based pricing for trunk-line logistics, transport capacity equates to revenue. This is a typical approach of leveraging equipment lightweighting to drive operational economics. The premise is that the performance of the plastic liner in terms of high pressure, cycle life, and barrier properties must be verified. Therefore, Tian Jianguang also mentioned that if the project can successfully pass the relevant national standard verification and be approved for deployment, the weight reduction effect of the entire hydrogen storage equipment will be very significant. Standard verification comes first, followed by commercial promotion; this order cannot be reversed.

There is more than one technical solution on the storage and transportation side. Pipeline storage and transportation is suitable for large-scale, long-distance operations; tank trucks are suitable for medium-scale flexible scheduling; liquid hydrogen is suitable for scenarios requiring high energy density; and organic liquid hydrogen storage exchanges a liquid medium at normal temperature and pressure for convenience in the transportation process. Their common constraint is that the terminal must have receiving and refueling capability, so the density and refueling speed of hydrogen stations actually determine what proportion of upstream hydrogen production capacity can be utilized. This is also why the promotion route of hydrogen-powered heavy trucks is generally tied to fixed routes — Xinjiang Hongjing Logistics won the bid for the hydrogen-powered heavy truck coal transportation service project for Xinjiang Huadian Coal Materials Company, with a contract amount exceeding 100 million yuan, a contract period of 2 years, and a transport volume of over 2 million tons. More than 120 hydrogen-powered heavy trucks were deployed, all equipped with the same set of fuel cell power systems, operated by its own fleet in a dedicated personnel, dedicated vehicle, dedicated route mode, serving fixed routes such as from the mining area to the power company. Fixed routes mean that hydrogen refueling points can be fixed, transportation costs can be calculated, and the business model closes. Another battlefield for industrial hydrogen: process substitution in metallurgy.

Hydrogen-powered heavy trucks in the transportation sector are still facing challenges with hydrogen refueling stations, while the industrial use of hydrogen has already formed an alternative development path. Reports released in November 2026 show that the first phase of Hebei Steel Xuangang's 1.2 million-ton hydrogen metallurgy project has been completed and put into operation, making it the first hydrogen metallurgy project in China to adopt coke oven gas zero-reformation direct reduction technology. The carbon reduction rate exceeds 70%, and it has won the World Steel Association's Low Carbon Production Excellence Award. It has also established the world's first green automotive plate continuous casting production line using hydrogen metallurgy. The China Iron & Steel Research Institute’s pure hydrogen shaft furnace demonstration production line has completed the full process for producing high-purity iron with pure hydrogen metallurgy, carrying out normal production of direct reduced iron with a metallization rate above 96% and pilot-scale trials of 3N-grade high-purity iron. It has been stably operating for over 8,000 hours, with a continuous single run exceeding 2,000 hours.

The technical logic of hydrogen for metallurgy is different from that for transportation. In transportation scenarios, the focus is on lightweight energy density and refueling convenience, whereas in metallurgical scenarios, the focus is on the stability of continuous hydrogen supply and precise control of the reducing atmosphere—a blast furnace is a system that cannot be stopped casually, and fluctuations in hydrogen purity, pressure, and flow directly affect product quality. Therefore, hydrogen supply for the metallurgical sector relies more on direct connections via pipelines and on-site hydrogen production, which also explains why infrastructure such as the long-distance hydrogen pipeline from Damaoqi to Baotou city means much more for industrial hydrogen than for transportation hydrogen.

From a process perspective, the difficulty of coupling hydrogen metallurgy with green hydrogen lies in the hydrogen source. The direct reduction route using coke oven gas with zero reforming uses hydrogen obtained by purifying existing coke oven gas, which is not the same as renewable hydrogen; the decarbonization pathways are different. Truly introducing green hydrogen into blast furnaces requires simultaneously addressing the scalability of water electrolysis for hydrogen production, the stability of continuous hydrogen supply, as well as the safety and lifespan of hydrogen in the high-temperature environment of blast furnaces. Public information has not disclosed the proportion of green hydrogen substitution or the unit hydrogen consumption for products in the aforementioned demonstration projects, so the emission reduction effect can currently only be judged based on the project's public statements.

Assessment: The density of hydrogen refueling stations is the real bottleneck for scaling up.

Looking at the transportation and industrial sectors together allows for a clear judgment: the current bottleneck of hydrogen energy is not in hydrogen production, but in how hydrogen can be delivered to end-use sites stably. The supply of equipment for hydrogen production has already reached scale. On November 2, 2026, the National Energy Administration announced the sixth batch of first-in-China major technical equipment in the energy sector, in which 13 items in the hydrogen energy field were selected, covering key links in hydrogen production, storage and transportation, and utilization. In the storage and transportation sector, three hydrogen pipeline standards have already been completed, covering materials, hydrogen compatibility, and welding specifications. The remaining link is the density of terminal receiving and refueling capacity.

This determines the technological distribution of hydrogen energy investments in the coming years. Hydrogen refueling stations are not simply a matter of construction plus equipment; their bottleneck lies in the low-temperature equipment required for liquid hydrogen refueling, safety distances, hydrogen quality testing, and continuous operation capability — which is the same type of problem addressed by the DL/T 3137-2026 "General Technical Specification for Mobile Laboratories for Hydrogen Quality Testing for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells" issued by the National Energy Administration on October 21, 2026: who will ensure that the hydrogen on site meets the required quality. The absence of quality testing can prevent terminal equipment from fulfilling its performance commitments, which is even more obscure than simply having an insufficient number of hydrogen refueling stations.

Another clue worth noting is regionalized support. The hydrogen energy regional pilot in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, adopts a staggered development approach with production in northern Yinshan and use in southern Yinshan. The north of the mountains is building a green hydrogen production and supply hub, while the south is constructing a demonstration area for diverse hydrogen use scenarios. Currently, multiple hydrogen heavy-duty truck transport routes are in operation, and various hydrogen vehicles have been promoted, exceeding two thousand units, forming an industrial chain ecosystem covering production, storage, transportation, utilization, and refueling. The significance of regionalization lies in placing the four links of hydrogen production, storage and transportation, refueling, and vehicles within the same geographic area. With a reduced transportation radius, the density of refueling and hydrogen use can mutually support each other — this is the premise for hydrogen heavy-duty trucks to move from scattered pilots to fleet operation.

Finally, here's a forward-looking judgment. Competition over vehicle-end parameters will continue to advance; aerodynamics, hydrogen consumption, and tank light weighting are all quantifiable engineering indicators. However, what truly determines the upper limit of hydrogen heavy truck adoption is the pace of hydrogen refueling station network construction and operational economics. There is a chicken-and-egg cycle between these two: hydrogen stations need a sufficient vehicle density to amortize investment, while vehicle density relies on the refueling network to support operational density. The breakthrough point often occurs on fixed routes—dedicated vehicles on dedicated lines allow stations to be configured according to a known traffic volume, making both throughput and pricing measurable, thus closing the loop. This also explains why coal transportation routes from Xinjiang mining areas to power plants have become the first large-scale scenario for hydrogen heavy trucks.

The reference materials for this article are derived from the hydrogen energy industry development implementation plans and zero-carbon park scenario information publicly released on government websites such as the Beijing Municipal People's Government and Hainan Free Trade Port; vehicle and equipment technical data publicly released by companies such as BAIC Foton, Rongcheng New Energy Group, Beijing Tianhai Industrial, Hebei Iron & Steel Group Xuangang Company, and Guohong Hydrogen Energy; and public reports from media outlets such as China Energy News Network and China Energy News.