Decoding China's hydrogen development: A content analysis of policy objectives and instruments

Xihuan Zeng, Qinxu Huang, Yongzhang Liu and Quande Qin

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, vol. 217, issue C

Abstract: China has positioned hydrogen energy as pivotal for future energy security and has rapidly emerged as a major global producer of hydrogen. Understanding how the Chinese government fosters hydrogen energy development remains complex. This study addresses this gap by scrutinizing 184 policy texts from 2016 to July 2023 using a “policy objective-policy instrument” framework. The analysis reveals a dynamic and evolving landscape of policy support. The government has established an industrialization-oriented policy objective system, prioritizing binding, safeguarding, and short-term support instruments. A case study of the Pearl River Delta region illustrates how local governments maneuver within the national macro-policy framework while retaining flexibility and autonomy in their interventions. However, there is still a crucial gap in intrinsically driven policy support. To bridge this gap, we propose a balanced approach to policy objectives, an optimal blend of instruments, and enhanced policy collaboration among government actors at all levels. Addressing these challenges is imperative for China to fully unleash the transformative potential of hydrogen energy and cement its position as a global leader in this burgeoning sector.

Keywords: Hydrogen energy; Hydrogen policy; Content analysis; Policy objective; Policy instrument; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032125004022
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:217:y:2025:i:c:s1364032125004022

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 600126/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115729

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews is currently edited by L. Kazmerski

More articles in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().