Green hydrogen is no longer a futuristic promise but a strategic instrument in the race to decarbonise heavy industry and secure energy independence. China has already seized a commanding lead, combining scale, state coordination and supply-chain control to shape the global hydrogen economy. As this new energy order takes shape, can India build an autonomous green hydrogen sector while overcoming its cost, technological and strategic constraints?
At a time when countries are seeking to decarbonise without compromising industrial competitiveness or energy security, green hydrogen has emerged as a critical technology, especially in sectors where direct electrification falls short. Nowhere is this strategic pursuit more visible than in China, where hydrogen ambitions are unfolding at an accelerated scale and speed. In December 2025, China quietly set yet another world record in its clean energy transition agenda, operationalising the world’s largest integrated green hydrogen-ammonia-methanol project. Located in Jilin Province, the Songyuan Qingqing No. 1 project, developed by the state-owned China Energy Engineering Corporation, marks a significant shift from localised pilot projects to large-scale industrial deployments.