Visitors watch a hydrogen fuel heavy truck during the 2022 World New Energy Vehicle Congress in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Chinese scientists and their American counterparts recently published an assessment of China's future use of clean hydrogen in its heavy industry and heavy-duty transport, noting that clean hydrogen can significantly reduce carbon emissions.

According to the study published Thursday in the journal Nature Energy, clean hydrogen can be both a major energy carrier and feedstock that can significantly reduce carbon emissions of heavy industry.

Currently, the energy used in heavy industry and heavy-duty transport is difficult to shift to renewable power, according to a study conducted by researchers from Nankai University and Harvard University.

Clean hydrogen can be produced from different sources, including renewable electricity and natural gas reforming with carbon management technologies.

An analysis model result in the study shows that by 2060, clean hydrogen can fuel up to 50 percent of China's heavy-duty truck and bus fleets.

The result also shows that using clean hydrogen in China is expected to save 1.72 trillion U.S. dollars by 2060 in investment costs to achieve carbon neutrality compared with a no-hydrogen scenario.

According to the study, the result provides evidence of the value of clean hydrogen in hard-to-abate sectors for China and countries facing similar challenges in reducing emissions.