China may publish an industrial policy for the development of the hydrogen energy industry in October this year, according to Yi Baolian of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics.

According to the implementing rules of the 863 Program for 2006, the Ministry of Science and Technology will offer 75 million yuan (US$9.4 million) to support the development of hydrogen energy, which at present is inadequate.

Although hydrogen energy is on the list to be supported by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) every year, government departments have not up to present published any specific preferential policies for the industry, according to experts.

The NDRC will soon publish the Medium and Long-Term Development Program for Renewable Energy, which requires that by 2020, the proportion of renewable energy in China's total energy consumption will reach one-seventh. However, the program does not touch upon hydrogen energy.