A national hydrogen power quality supervision and inspection center, the first of its kind in China, recently started construction in Liangjiang New Area in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality.

The center is being constructed by China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co (CAERI) and will be put into operation in 2022. It is expected to upgrade and improve China's automobile industry.

With a total investment of 500 million yuan ($77.27 million), the center will cover an area of 190 mu (12.67 hectares) with labs for hydrogen vehicles, fuel cells, hydrogen accessories, power assembly and dynamo batteries.

Once completed, the center will test fuel cell vehicles and critical auto parts such as fuel cells, modules and systems, air compressors and hydrogen circulation pumps, covering the whole industrial chain of hydrogen energy.

The center will also build a comprehensive service platform for hydrogen energy with functions such as testing and certification, evaluation and research, standard systems, technical services, application promotion, industry incubation and equipment development. The platform will also provide policy-making consultation to the government.

The center will become a fair and authoritative third-party technical service organization for hydrogen inspections and serve industrial hydrogen clusters worldwide.

Liangjiang's automobile industrial chain currently has 10 firms manufacturing automobiles and more than 200 auto part companies and is expanding into the new energy field.