A bus fleet consisting of 12 hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles was rolled out to residents in Weifang on Aug 23, injecting new energy into the city's efforts to replace old economic drivers with new ones.

Industrial insiders have said the emerging hydrogen energy industry will lead future technological revolution in China.

Local officials said they hope Shandong can foster a competitive hydrogen energy industrial cluster and make itself one of the leading green energy demonstration provinces in China.

The hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses in Weifang were produced by Zhongtong Bus, one of China's leading new energy bus makers. Weichai's newly developed new energy powertrain systems were installed on these buses. The bus can run 350 kilometers on a single charge, according to local officials.

Weichai, which has mass production capacity of hydrogen fuel cells and related components, joined hands with Zhongtong Bus to launch three bus routes in Weifang this year. It also built a charging station which can supply one metric ton of hydrogen a day. The company said more facilities, such as charging stations, will be built to serve more new energy vehicles in Weifang.

Weichai, the leading heavy-duty engine manufacturing giant in Shandong province, shoulders responsibilities to support Shandong's industrial upgrading and transformation. It set a goal to be a leading new energy auto parts maker in 2017, according to the company.

In 2018, Weichai's new energy power industrial park in Weifang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was listed among the six key projects recognized by the Shandong government.

Breakthroughs have been reported by Weichai in its development in the new energy sector. Its new energy industrial park in the high-tech zone has a complete industrial chain covering cells, engines, engine control systems, powertrains and automotive production.

It has also established a new energy innovation center in Weifang supported by more than 1,000 engineers.

The company has also built research and development centers in countries such as the United States, Germany and Japan to catch up with new industrial trends and attract global professionals in the fuel cell field.

Weichai's efforts have won applause from the central government. It was assigned by the Ministry of Science and Technology to carry out projects on fuel cell engines and vehicles, commercialization and application. It partnered with leading academic institutes in China, such as Tsinghua University, Tongji University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and leading automakers such as Zhongtong Bus, to develop key technologies.

Weichai currently owns core technologies in developing solid oxide fuel cells, hydrogen fuel cells and high-pressure direct-injection-based natural gas fueled engines. It has set up a complete industrial chain to produce hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles.