Shanxi Pengfei Group’s European Tour: A Two‑Pronged Strategy of Hydrogen Energy and Culture‑Commerce‑Tourism Goes Global, Highlighting Chinese Energy Companies’ Leadership in Transformation

Recently, Shanxi Pengfei Group held economic and trade exchange and promotion events in Ireland and Romania. This energy company, which originated in Xiaoyi, Shanxi, not only showcased its eight-year‑long expertise and achievements across the entire hydrogen‑energy value chain but also highlighted carefully developed cultural, commercial, and tourism‑focused projects, achieving a dual‑pronged presentation of green energy and cultural industries in the European market.

This marks the second overseas outreach initiative for Pengfei Group, following its 2023 promotional tour in France. With an open and inclusive approach, Pengfei has garnered keen interest from local enterprises thanks to its comprehensive, end-to-end hydrogen‑energy industry ecosystem and its high‑quality cultural, commercial, and tourism assets centered on Shanxi’s Xiangyu Ancient Fort and Xiaoyi Old Town. This not only serves as a vivid illustration of China’s hydrogen‑energy technologies gaining global traction, but also underscores the steadfast commitment and sense of responsibility demonstrated by traditional Chinese energy companies as they advance green and low‑carbon transformation—integrating cultural heritage with public‑service initiatives and pursuing diversified industrial development.

From a coal‑coking enterprise to a hydrogen‑energy pioneer: Over 30 years of transformation, writing a new chapter in the energy sector.

Founded in 1993, Pengfei Group has, over more than three decades, transformed itself from a regional coal enterprise into a diversified energy conglomerate. Today, with total assets of RMB 150 billion and a workforce of 30,000, the company has established an integrated industrial cluster encompassing intelligent raw‑coal production, clean‑technology coke smelting, a fully developed hydrogen‑energy value chain, multimodal rail‑road transportation, and eco‑friendly cultural‑tourism, hospitality, health‑care, and real‑estate ventures. Hydrogen energy has emerged as the cornerstone of its transformation over the past eight years.

Guided by the dual-carbon strategy, Pengfei Group has continuously introduced advanced technologies and high-end equipment, systematically transforming its traditional production and processing model. The group has successfully produced hydrogen from coke oven gas, turning waste into a valuable resource. This energy source, once classified as “gray hydrogen,” has been certified as “green hydrogen” following rigorous evaluation by a team of Chinese Academy of Sciences academicians. Pengfei Group alone can generate over 100,000 tons of such clean hydrogen annually—enough to power 15,000 hydrogen‑fuel‑cell heavy‑duty trucks, delivering substantial carbon‑reduction benefits.

Looking ahead, Pengfei Group will further focus on the goals of “transforming traditional industries into new‑type enterprises, modernizing them, and greening them,” continuously strengthening its industrial foundation and optimizing its industrial structure, with the aim of building a comprehensive energy group that boasts core competitiveness and sustainable development capabilities.

Breaking the Impasse in Full-Chain Industrial Layout: World-Leading Hydrogen Energy Practices

Unlike most companies that focus on a single link in the hydrogen energy value chain, Pengfei Group has spent eight years establishing a fully integrated ecosystem—spanning hydrogen production, storage, transportation, refueling, and the manufacturing of hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.

“Every stage faced the dual challenge of technological exploration and industrial implementation, ultimately enabling us to achieve end-to-end independent breakthroughs,” said Zheng Peng, Chairman of the Board and President of Pengfei Group. He added that Pengfei Group’s hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks are now in operation in Shanxi, with 300 vehicles deployed; over the past three years, they have collectively logged nearly 50 million kilometers, with individual trucks reaching close to 300,000 kilometers—figures that place the company among the leaders in the global hydrogen‑powered commercial vehicle sector.

Leveraging vast operational data, Pengfei has not only achieved technological advancements in hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks but has also developed an intelligent management platform that covers the entire vehicle lifecycle. Powered by AI, the platform monitors driver conditions in real time and promptly addresses risky behaviors, ensuring driving safety. Today, its hydrogen‑powered heavy trucks boast “long‑distance, multi‑environment” operational capabilities, with a single‑vehicle range exceeding 1,000 kilometers and remaining unaffected by seasonal variations—making them better suited than electric heavy trucks for long‑haul transportation scenarios.

Dual Empowerment of Industry and People’s Livelihood: Embracing a Diversified Strategy to Put “Development as Service” into Practice

While deepening its transformation in the energy sector, Pengfei Group has consistently upheld the philosophy of “building a company that enriches life,” seamlessly integrating industrial development with public services and cultural heritage.

In recent years, leveraging Shanxi’s profound historical and cultural heritage, the Group has developed a cultural‑commercial‑tourism industrial base centered on historic castles. This includes the renovation and reconfiguration of Xiangyu Ancient Castle—boasting over 400 years of history and hailed as “China’s Most Beautiful”—as well as Xiaoyi Old Town, with its more than 1,600-year history, and the former residence of Liu Zongyuan. After more than two years of meticulous restoration, Xiaoyi Old Town will officially open to the public on October 1 this year. Complementing these efforts, 12 five‑star hotels are being built, supported by high‑quality homestays and lodging services, to create a cultural‑tourism ecosystem that seamlessly blends history and culture with leisure and resort experiences.

“Wherever the enterprise goes, and wherever industrial development takes us, we bring high‑quality living and services along,” a principle that has guided Pengfei Group throughout its growth. From energy production to cultural‑tourism services, from technological innovation to improvements in people’s livelihoods, the Group seamlessly integrates diversified industrial strategies with social responsibility and heartfelt dedication. By putting into practice the ethos of “wherever we develop, there we give back,” it ensures that its transformation not only boasts robust, green, low‑carbon capabilities but also embodies the humanistic warmth and tangible benefits that enrich everyday life.

Going Global for Win-Win Outcomes: Enabling China’s Hydrogen Energy Technologies to Support Global Decarbonization

On this European tour, Pengfei Group brought not only mature hydrogen‑energy products, but also a forward‑looking vision: to build a transcontinental hydrogen‑energy corridor, deploy one million hydrogen‑powered heavy trucks, establish a multi‑million‑ton hydrogen supply hub, develop a network of a thousand integrated energy islands, and foster a hydrogen‑energy industry cluster worth hundreds of billions.

Zheng Peng, Chairman of the Board and President of Pengfei Group, stated that Pengfei Group aims to forge deep cooperation with European enterprises across multiple domains, including hydrogen‑energy technology R&D, product manufacturing, and market expansion. The Group will provide its partners with comprehensive support and services—such as sharing technological breakthroughs, co‑building production facilities, and jointly developing markets—to collectively advance the global hydrogen‑energy industry and contribute to the achievement of the world’s carbon‑peak and carbon‑neutral goals.

This article is reprinted with permission from Xinhua Finance.