China is taking its energy transition drive to a whole new level with authorities deciding to light the torch for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics with hydrogen.

ENERGY EXPLORED: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCELERATE

Gain valuable insight into the global oil and gas industry's energy transition from ACCELERATE, the free weekly newsletter from Upstream and Recharge. Sign up here today.

The move by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the games — due to take place between 4 and 20 February next year — is intended to be symbolic of the country's drive to lower carbon emissions, with the same being done at the Paralympic Winter Games in the capital.

The Beijing municipal government will also build two hydrogen refueling stations and operate hydrogen-powered buses — also known as fuel cell electric vehicles — in the city’s suburbs.

The hydrogen will be supplied by state-controlled oil giant Sinopec, which is building a hydrogen processing unit at its Yanshan petrochemicals complex in Beijing.

The facility will have production capacity of 2000 cubic metres per hour of hydrogen gas.