Call for Comment: China’s 19 National Standards for Hydrogen Technology

On February 6, 2026, the National Technical Committee on Hydrogen Energy Standardization (SAC/TC309) released a batch of 19 draft national standards for public comment, aiming to improve the standards system for the entire hydrogen industry chain encompassing production, storage, transportation, and utilization and accelerate the supply of hydrogen energy standards. This aligns with the requirements of the Medium and Long-Term Plan for Hydrogen Energy Industry Development and the Hydrogen Industry Standard System Development Guide (2023 Edition). The draft standards are open for expert and industry feedback until March 10, 2026.

These 19 standards are structured around the entire hydrogen industry chain, among which 15 are new projects and 4 are revisions. In terms of international adoption, 7 standards are based on ISO standards (4 identical, 1 modified, and 2 non-equivalent due to revisions that have resulted in misalignment with the previously adopted ISO versions), while 11 are independently developed. The standards cover key areas including hydrogen fuel quality, hydrogen system safety testing, electrolyzers, hydrogen production devices, hydrogen storage materials, pipeline hydrogen transportation, hydrogen refueling station equipment, and data collection.

The 19 draft national hydrogen standards cover the full industry chain, mandating compliance with new technical specifications. With 3 standards modified or non-equivalently adopted from ISO, China is tailoring its requirements to local conditions. Foreign firms must identify deviations from ISO norms and adapt product design and compliance strategies accordingly to secure market access.

The standards list is as followed.

List of 19 Draft National Hydrogen Energy Standards
No.	Standard Name	Development/ Revision	ISO Adoption	Degree of Equivalence
1	20252598-T-469 Hydrogen fuel quality — Product specification	Revision	ISO 14687:2025 Hydrogen fuel quality — Product specification	modified
2	20243644-T-469 Testing method for leakage rate of hydrogen system	Development
3	20254785-T-469 Hydrogen detection apparatus – Stationary applications	Development	ISO 26142:2010 Hydrogen detection apparatus — Stationary applications	identical
4	20254999-T-469 Alkaline Water Electrolyzer	Development
5	20243630-T-469 Technical requirements for hydrogen production from renewable energy by electrolysis of water	Development
6	20254781-T-469 Hydrogen generators using fuel processing technologies-Part 1：safety	Development	ISO 16110-1:2007 Hydrogen generators using fuel processing technologies Part 1: Safety	identical
7	20243628-T-469 Storage and transportation systems for gaseous hydrogen Part 5: Technical requirements for hydrogen transportation system	Development
8	20243537-T-469 Testing method for hydrogen compatibility of welded joints of hydrogen pipelines	Development
9	20243598-T-469 Technical requirements for hydrogen mixing transportation in natural gas pipelines	Development
10	20250705-T-469 Hydrogen pipeline integrity management specification	Development
11	20255095-T-469 Metal hydride hydrogen storage materials – Part 1: General requirements	Development
12	20255099-T-469 Metal Hydride Hydrogen Storage Materials Part 2: Test Method for the Performance of Hydrogen absorption/desorption reaction	Development
13	20252600-T-469 Measurement method of pressure-composition-temperature for reversable hydrogen asborption & desorption of hydrides	Revision
14	20243636-T-469 Testing method of hydrogen compressor used in hydrogen fueling stations	Development
15	20255086-T-469 Technical requirements of fuelling protocols for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles	Revision	ISO 19885-1:2024 Gaseous hydrogen — Fuelling protocols for hydrogen-fuelled vehicles Part 1: Design and development process for fuelling protocols	not equivalent
16	20254731-T-469 Gaseous hydrogen fueling stations Part 5: Dispenser hoses and hose assemblies	Development	ISO 19880-5:2019 Gaseous hydrogen — Fuelling stations Part 5: Dispenser hoses and hose assemblies	identical
17	20254338-T-469 Gaseous hydrogen fueling stations Part 7: Rubber O-rings	Development	ISO 19880-7 Gaseous Hydrogen – Fueling Station – Part 7: O-rings	identical
18	20255084-T-469 Public data acquisition technical specification for hydrogen refueling station	Development
19	20252599-T-469 Compressed hydrogen surface vehicle refueling connection devices	Revision	ISO 17268:2020 Gaseous hydrogen land vehicle refuelling connection devices	not equivalent