10-km Pure Hydrogen Pipeline Project Secures Filing Approval in Inner Mongolia

A 10-km pure hydrogen pipeline project supporting an independent energy storage demonstration project in Dalad Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has secured project filing approval.

The pipeline will connect a hydrogen production facility operated by Inner Mongolia Hydrogen-Electric Technology Co., Ltd. with industrial customers and natural gas facilities in the area. The project has a total investment of RMB 20 million and is designed to transport approximately 4,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually.

Project Overview

The pipeline will comprise a 5.7-km main trunk line and several branch lines serving hydrogen consumers and natural gas facilities.

Main trunk line

Starting from the planned hydrogen production plant, the main pipeline will run west along the northern side of Wei 7th Road before turning north along the eastern side of Jing 3rd Road.

After crossing Wei 5th Road (Sanfu Line), it will continue north along Jing 3rd Road. At Wei 3rd Road, the route will turn east along the road's southern side, cross a cement road east of Mengliheng, and reach the planned Jing 5th Road.

The pipeline will then run north along planned Jing 5th Road to Wei 2nd Road, before turning east along the southern side of Wei 2nd Road and extending to the area near the Weiqi Bingtong industrial site. The final section will cross Wei 2nd Road to reach the pipeline's designated endpoint outside the industrial site.

The main trunk line will have a total length of approximately 5.7 km.

Branch lines

Three branch lines will connect the main pipeline to downstream customers and gas facilities:

Tongyuan Gas Gate Station branch: Extending west from the main pipeline at Wei 5th Road (Sanfu Line), along the road's northern side to Tongyuan Gas Gate Station. The branch will be approximately 3.1 km long.

Changda Natural Gas Gate Station branch: Starting at the intersection of Wei 5th Road (Sanfu Line) and Jing 1st Road, the pipeline will run north along the eastern side of Jing 1st Road before crossing west to connect to Changda Natural Gas Gate Station. The branch will be approximately 0.8 km long.

Jianheng Ceramics branch: Connecting to the main pipeline at the intersection of Wei 3rd Road and planned Jing 5th Road. It will run approximately 200 metres east along the southern side of Wei 3rd Road before turning south to reach the entrance of Jianheng Ceramics' plant. The branch will be approximately 0.3 km long.

Technical Specifications and Construction

The project will have a total investment of RMB 20 million. Construction is scheduled to run from October 2026 to October 2027.

The pipeline will serve as supporting public hydrogen transmission infrastructure for the original independent energy storage demonstration project. Its key technical specifications include:

Total pipeline length: Approximately 10 km

Design pressure: 2.0 MPa

Maximum operating pressure: 1.6 MPa

Annual hydrogen transmission capacity: Approximately 4,000 tonnes

Hydrogen will be supplied by an on-site water electrolysis plant within the industrial park operated by Inner Mongolia Hydrogen-Electric Technology Co., Ltd.

The pipeline will combine underground and above-ground installation methods. Pipe jacking and horizontal directional drilling will be used to cross roads within the industrial park, including Wei 2nd Road, Wei 3rd Road and Wei 5th Road.

The pipeline will use L245QH seamless steel pipes, with an enhanced three-layer polyethylene (3PE) external anti-corrosion coating and sacrificial-anode cathodic protection.

No new permanent industrial land will be required. The pipeline will mainly follow greenbelts along existing industrial park roads, with only temporary land occupation during construction. The land and vegetation will be restored after construction.

The project is expected to consume approximately 10,000 kWh of electricity annually, with no process water requirements and a workforce of three people.

Economic and Environmental Performance

At full operating capacity, the project is expected to generate:

Annual hydrogen sales revenue: RMB 63.46 million

Annual pipeline network operating revenue: RMB 6.30 million

Annual profit: RMB 5 million

Annual tax contribution: RMB 650,000

The pipeline's operational energy demand is expected to remain minimal, mainly covering electricity for inspection and monitoring equipment.

Electricity will come from wind and solar power supplied through the incremental distribution network. According to the project information, annual carbon emissions are expected to be approximately zero, with carbon emissions per unit of added value also approaching zero.

Project Development Timeline

The pipeline project has undergone several stages of development as part of the wider independent energy storage demonstration project:

May 7, 2026: The original grid-side independent energy storage demonstration project completed a modification filing, adding a roughly 10-km pure hydrogen pipeline to its scope. The planned energy storage capacity was also reduced from 8 MW/72 MWh to 2 MW/4 MWh. The project's focus shifted from hydrogen-based power generation towards direct pipeline hydrogen supply for industrial customers.

July 21, 2026: A second modification filing was approved for the energy storage demonstration project, revising its total investment to RMB 153.332 million. The pure hydrogen pipeline remained part of the supporting infrastructure, with its technical specifications and intended customer base unchanged.

Early November 2026: The pure hydrogen pipeline was registered as a standalone project and received filing approval under project code 2610-150621-60-01-143214. The approval requires the developer to complete other legally required procedures before construction begins.

The project has completed the filing process and is currently in the pre-construction preparation stage. Although the published schedule lists October 2026 as the planned construction start, no public construction tender or commencement announcement had been identified at the time of the project's filing disclosure. Further updates will be needed to confirm the actual construction timetable.