On December 3, 2021, Mr. Stephen Bainous KARGBO, Representative & Head of Regional Office in China of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and Mr. Jian Ma, Deputy Representative of UNIDO for China, visited the International Hydrogen Energy Center (IHEC). Mr. Qinxian Jin, Vice Secretary-General of Tsinghua University and Director of Beijing Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute (BTIRDI), Mr. Xiaolong Fu, Deputy Director of BTIRDI, and Ms. April Qian, Director of BTIRDI International Cooperation Department, attended the meeting.

The delegation visited the international hydrogen energy exhibition hall in the IHEC Beijing headquarter, which is located in Zhongguancun Dongsheng International Science Park. The exhibition hall shows the complete industrial chain of the hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation and application in a full view, as well as the progress of the UNIDO hydrogen energy projects and the current development situation of hydrogen energy industry in the UK, Japan, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and other countries, which were highly appreciated by the representatives. The two sides also held a meeting in the IHEC.

During the meeting, Director Jin said that hydrogen energy is a priority of the layout of BTIRDI. Since 2019, with the support of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, BTIRDI has cooperated with UNIDO to build the IHEC. Relying on the scientific and technological innovation resources of BTIRDI and the global cooperation network of UNIDO, the IHEC has successfully completed the preparation work, and officially inaugurated in the Beijing Municipal Government in July 2021. The IHEC Beijing headquarter settled in Zhongguancun Dongsheng International Science Park and successfully held the first International Hydrogen Energy Industry Development Forum on November 15, 2021, which has been highly praised by governments, research institutions and leading enterprises. At present, the IHEC has started its operation work in all respects, and is collaborating with world’s top research institutions and leading enterprises to jointly carry out hydrogen energy technology R&D, equipment manufacturing and application demonstration. BTIRDI will, through in-depth cooperation with the UNIDO, continue to promote hydrogen energy research and the comprehensive development of the industry, and create a global innovation highland in the field of hydrogen energy.

Mr. KARGBO said that recently, the “Global Development Initiative” proposed by President Xi Jinping at the general debate of the 76th United Nations Congress has been warmly received in the international community, which made him deeply feel China’s responsibility as a major country in safeguarding and promoting global sustainable development. As an important and fundamental proposition in human development, energy is of great significance on the survival and sustainable development of human beings. At present, the technical constraints and high-cost application of hydrogen energy remain the problems to be jointly overcome by all countries around the world. It is hoped that the IHEC can take the lead in making breakthroughs in related fields, realize large-scale and economical applications, and popularize hydrogen energy applications to other developing countries and relatively backward regions around the world. Mr. KARGBO said that BTIRDI and UNIDO have achieved good results in cooperation and exchanges in recent years. He expressed the hope that the two sides could continue to work together closely in the future to promote the global development of hydrogen energy and jointly build a hydrogen energy cooperation network of UNIDO.