German chancellor Scholz began China visit at Bosch Hydrogen in Chongqing
For the first stop of his three days China visit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain Systems (Chongqing) Co Ltd, a joint venture between German engineering and technology company Bosch and Chongqing-based premium commercial vehicle manufacturer Qingling Motors. The company was set up in 2021 to develop, assemble and sell fuel cell systems in China and just inaugurated its new manufacturing plant in Nov 2023.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain Systems (Chongqing) Co Ltd on Sunday in Chongqing during his three-day visit to China. Photo: Chinadaily
Scholz is the first leader of a major Western country to visit China this year. His high-profile delegation includes three government ministers and top business leaders. The member of Scholz’s delegation includes Roland Busch, chief executive officer of Siemens and also chair and president of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business, Oliver Zipse, chairman of the BMW board of management, Bayer CEO Bill Anderson and ThyssenKrupp CEO Miguel Lopez are members of the business delegation accompanying Scholz.
Guided by a factory technician, Scholz assembled a hydrogen power module during his tour of the facility.
The joint venture has introduced 76 kw, 134 kw, 190 kw and 300kw fuel cell power modules to the market which could be applied to various classic commercial vehicle applications including cold-chain logistics, sanitation and medium to heavy-duty long-haul transportation.
Chongqing, a mega city on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River with a population of nearly 32 million, is a traditional industrial powerhouse, which has a long history of cooperation and exchanges with Germany. As the gateway to Southwest China, it boasts one of the world's largest IT industrial clusters and one of China's biggest auto manufacturing bases.
China has been Germany's biggest trading partner for eight consecutive years, and Germany has been China's biggest trading partner in Europe for the past 49 years, according to the Foreign Ministry.
What will Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain benefit from Scholz’s visit? I believe it should be big purchase order from local logistical or public service companies. During the inauguration ceremony last November, the company has announced it received purchase orders from COSCO Shipping and China Postal Express & Logistic to supply 1,000 FCEV logistic vehicles. While based on latest released hydrogen energy development strategy of local governments, the demand for FCEVs would expand multiple folds by 2030.
Jiulongpo District, a district in west Chongqing with 430 km2 and a population of 1.52 million, has just released an ambitious hydrogen plan in Dec 2023