China National Petroleum Corp saw its first hydrogen station in Beijing begin operations in August, to ensure the clean fuel supply will be available during the 2022 Winter Olympics in the capital.

Located in Changping district, with an area of 1,700 square meters, the Futian hydrogen refueling station is dedicated to securing hydrogen supply for vehicles in Zhangjiakou for the 2022 Winter Games, the company said.

The station has an average daily filling capacity of 600 kilograms, capable of powering 50 to 60 hydrogen-powered buses, it said.

Many traditional oil companies, like CNPC, are marching into the hydrogen industry believing in its promising prospects.

An analyst said the operation of CNPC's first hydrogen refueling station in the capital will not only guarantee hydrogen supply for the Beijing Games but also

provide an opportunity for CNPC to step into the hydrogen industry and accumulate experience in hydrogen refueling technology, management, operation modes and market development.

CNPC's Beijing sales company also plans to upgrade its Beijing Jinlong petrol station into a combined gasoline and hydrogen refueling station by the end of September, while the company also intends to have three more hydrogen refueling stations in Beijing and Hebei province by the end of this year to make sure it will operate 50 hydrogen refueling stations nationwide in the near future.

Hydrogen is recognized as one of the cleanest fuels in the world. CNPC Futian Hydrogenating Station is responsible for the energy supply to hydrogen fuel cell buses and hydrogen fuel cell trucks for the Winter Olympic Games, and this represents an important window to show the image of a "green Winter Olympics" to the world, CNPC said.

Liao Guoqing, general manager of CNPC's sales company, said the Futian hydrogen refueling station is among the company's first batch of exploratory implementation projects in the renewable energy sector and will provide the company with sufficient experience and talent for future oil stations with gas, power and hydrogen refueling services.

CNPC has been actively exploring the hydrogen sector. The company's first hydrogen station, located in Chongli, a district of Zhangjiakou, around 240 kilometers northwest of Beijing, was put into operation in March, dedicated to securing hydrogen supplies for vehicles in the Zhangjiakou Cluster of the 2022 Games.

The company will continuously explore the hydrogen sector and come up with a hydrogen energy utilization biosphere taking advantage of CNPC's resources, Liao said.