In a move that could reshape the future of clean energy, China has successfully switched on the world’s first 30-megawatt gas turbine powered entirely by pure hydrogen.
The breakthrough was recorded on Sunday in Inner Mongolia, where the Jupiter I hydrogen gas turbine began stable power generation operations. The project marks the first time a turbine of this scale has run solely on hydrogen without blending fossil fuels.
Developed by Mingyang Group, the turbine tackles one of renewable energy’s most persistent challenges: how to store excess electricity generated when demand is low and release it when demand rises.
The system works by converting surplus wind and solar power into hydrogen through electrolysis. That hydrogen is then stored and later used to generate electricity during peak periods, delivering power with zero carbon emissions.
According to Wang Yongzhi, General Manager of Mingyang Hydrogen Gas Turbine Technology, the environmental impact is significant. He said the Jupiter I turbine can cut carbon emissions by more than 200,000 tonnes annually when compared with thermal power units of similar capacity.
Operating in a combined-cycle mode, the turbine produces about 48,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per hour, enough to meet the daily electricity needs of approximately 5,500 households.
The hydrogen turbine is part of a large demonstration project located in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. The project integrates a 500-megawatt wind farm, photovoltaic power generation, and an electrolytic hydrogen production system with a capacity of 48,000 cubic metres per hour.
Construction of the project began in August 2025, while the turbine unit itself was shipped from Wuxi in Jiangsu Province in July, highlighting the scale and coordination involved in the rollout.
The launch comes amid China’s rapid expansion of renewable energy infrastructure. In 2024, the country added 445 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, accounting for about 60 percent of global additions.
By February 2025, China reached another milestone as its combined solar and wind capacity exceeded thermal power capacity for the first time. Renewables now make up 43 percent of the country’s total installed power capacity.
China has committed to peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The Jupiter I project has been selected as one of the first national-level hydrogen energy pilot projects in the energy sector.
Experts say the technology could be especially valuable in reducing electricity waste from large-scale renewable projects in China’s western deserts and undeveloped regions, where excess power generation has long been a challenge.
As global attention turns increasingly to hydrogen as a clean energy solution, China’s successful deployment of a fully hydrogen-powered turbine places it firmly at the forefront of next-generation power technology.
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