Hong Kong’s government has accelerated efforts to introduce hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) vehicles and supporting infrastructure as part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The 2024 “Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong” lays out a roadmap for legislative reform, technical standards, market incentives and pilot projects — marking hydrogen energy as a central pillar in the city’s decarbonisation agenda.

Under the strategy, the authorities have proposed an amendment to the Gas Safety Ordinance to regulate hydrogen used as a fuel.

The bill was submitted to the Legislative Council earlier this year, with key provisions expected to take effect by 2027. The legislative framework will cover the full hydrogen supply chain: production, storage, transport, supply and use.

Complementary to this, technical guidelines and codes of practice for hydrogen vehicles, refuelling stations, maintenance workshops and risk assessment for hydrogen installations have already been drafted and issued.

These measures are intended to ensure high safety standards appropriate to Hong Kong’s dense urban environment.

Since the strategy’s launch, authorities have approved 26 hydrogen-energy trial projects.

Among them are the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell street-cleaning vehicles, and the commissioning of the city’s first public hydrogen refuelling station at Au Tau, Yuen Long.

The government has also greenlit plans to trial hydrogen double-decker buses and heavy vehicles, in line with the commitments laid out in the city’s Climate Action Plan 2050.

Support measures include financial incentives under the New Energy Transport Fund and the Green Tech Fund to encourage operators and businesses to adopt hydrogen technology.

Meanwhile, the government is exploring regional cooperation with the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, leveraging mainland hydrogen production capacity and supply networks to support Hong Kong’s emerging hydrogen economy.

Despite the momentum, officials acknowledge that hydrogen uptake remains at an early stage.

The high cost of hydrogen — especially green hydrogen produced from renewable energy — and the nascent state of refuelling infrastructure mean that mass adoption is not expected in the near term.

Analysts say cost-effectiveness, regulatory certainty, and scale of production will determine whether hydrogen can become mainstream.

Still, the policy framework, pilot projects and early infrastructure developments reflect a clear commitment by Hong Kong’s authorities to place hydrogen at the heart of the city’s green-transport transition.

As trials progress and standards take shape, hydrogen may emerge as a viable pathway for decarbonising transport — especially for heavy vehicles and public transport — on the road to 2050 carbon neutrality.