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Inside the electrode lab of Zhejiang Fenergy Hydrogen Energy Technology, located in Pinghu Economic Development and Technological Zone in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, Xu Pan, the chief engineer carefully added catalyst slurry into test tubes on May 26.

Catalyst coatings are applied to membrane electrodes with micrometer accuracy — fine-tuned in real time, reflecting China's steady rise in high-end hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Often referred to as the "heart" of hydrogen fuel cells, domestic membrane electrodes were once entirely dependent on imports, with high costs and vulnerable supply chains. Determined to change that, Wang Haifeng founded Fenergy Hydrogen in 2018, establishing a large-scale R&D and production base to target this critical gap.

The road to independence was steep. All seven core components of the membrane electrode initially relied on imports. Chinese alternatives lacked durability, efficiency, and cost-competitiveness. To resolve this, Fenergy Hydrogen's team pursued bold innovations — such as self-humidifying membranes to eliminate bulky and inefficient humidifier components.

After more than a thousand experiments in just over a year, Fenergy Hydrogen developed a "gradient self-humidifying" membrane electrode. The innovation cut membrane costs by 50 percent and enabled full domestic production.

Fenergy Hydrogen's breakthroughs extend to high-consistency slurry production, precision coating, and in-house designed production lines with an annual capacity of 1 million membranes — enough for 3,000 heavy-duty trucks.

Now ranked among China's top three membrane electrode producers, the company has secured deals with major automakers including Dongfeng, Geely, and Chery.