China has completed what it describes as the world’s largest hydrogen refuelling station in East Turkistan, what Beijing calls “Xinjiang (New Territory),” marking a major expansion of state-backed energy infrastructure in the occupied region as concerns persist over large-scale industrial development without consent of its native peoples.
The station, located in the far eastern city of Qumul (“Hami”), is now undergoing trial operations ahead of its official opening, according to project materials released this week. Fuel Cells Works reported that the pure hydrogen production and refuelling facility is designed to dispense up to 10 tonnes of hydrogen per day and refuel as many as eight fuel-cell heavy trucks simultaneously, with a stated capacity of around 300 vehicle refuellings daily.
Chinese state-linked developers have presented the project as a benchmark in large-scale hydrogen infrastructure. By comparison, Europe’s largest existing station, operated by H2 Mobility in Düsseldorf, is reported to dispense about five tonnes of hydrogen per day and refuel three vehicles at a time, giving the Qumul facility roughly double the daily throughput.
Integrated hydrogen hub for heavy transport
According to technical specifications released by the project’s suppliers, the Qumul station integrates hydrogen production and refuelling on a single site covering approximately 19,500 square metres. The design reflects Beijing’s preference for large, vertically integrated hydrogen hubs rather than for smaller, distributed stations, particularly along freight transport corridors in East Turkistan.
According to Fuel Cells Works, the core equipment and system integration were supplied by Beijing Haidleyson Technology Co., Ltd., which specialises in high-pressure hydrogen and fluid systems. The company says the station uses self-developed compressors, filling equipment, valve systems, and control technologies capable of operating in temperature ranges from minus 40 degrees Celsius to plus 50 degrees Celsius.
Fuel Cells Works reported that the station is intended to support hydrogen-based freight transport as part of China’s broader energy transition efforts in East Turkistan.
Expansion amid occupation and industrialization
The completion of the station comes amid continued expansion of large-scale industrial, energy, and extractive projects across East Turkistan amid an ongoing genocide. Rights groups and East Turkistan organizations in exile have long argued that such developments are imposed without the consent of the territory’s native peoples and are tied to broader policies of colonization, demographic engineering, and economic restructuring under occupation.
While Chinese authorities frame hydrogen development as part of an energy transition, critics say infrastructure growth must be understood in the context of tight surveillance, forced labor allegations, and the broader system of control imposed on the region. Independent verification of labor conditions and land use associated with major projects remains severely restricted.
Haidleyson said it has delivered more than 170 hydrogen refuelling stations across domestic and international markets as of December 2025, with equipment deployed across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. The company positions each facility as part of a closed-loop hydrogen ecosystem linking production, storage, transport, and end use.
Access to independent reporting in East Turkistan remains limited due to state restrictions, making it difficult to assess the full social, environmental, and labor impacts of large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Qumul hydrogen station.
