Deeply rooted in the hydrogen energy sector and driving industry transformation, SHPT is set to deploy its new fuel cell systems in a hydrogen-powered UAV inspection project
SHANGHAI, Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As a high-tech enterprise in the fuel cell sector, Shanghai Hydrogen Propulsion Technology Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as "SHPT") has upheld its corporate vision of "Hydrogen Powers the World, SHPT Leads the Future" since its establishment in 2018. The company is dedicated to the R&D and industrialization of hydrogen energy technologies, advancing the high-quality and sustainable development of hydrogen energy technology. Leveraging years of technical expertise and innovative breakthroughs, SHPT has built vertically integrated capabilities for independent R&D and large-scale production, covering Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEA), fuel cell stacks, fuel cell systems, as well as vehicle powertrain integration and customized development. It has emerged as one of the few high-tech enterprises in China to achieve end-to-end independent manufacturing across the entire industrial chain. With its technical strength and market position firmly secured in the industry's top tier, vehicles equipped with SHPT systems are currently undergoing fuel cell vehicle demonstration operations in 32 cities across 18 Chinese provinces, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi.
Amidst the intense competition of the hydrogen energy industry, SHPT—as a top-tier player in the fuel cell sector—has not rested on its existing advantages in the automotive market, even while facing challenges of accelerated technological iteration and intensifying application segmentation. Instead, the company has adopted a two-pronged approach: on one hand, it continues to deeply cultivate core scenarios such as commercial and passenger vehicles to consolidate its market leadership; on the other hand, it is breaking the boundaries of application scenarios to extend its technological expertise into a wider range of non-automotive fields. This dual-drive strategy—combining steady operations with transformative innovation—opens up vast new possibilities for the commercialization of hydrogen technology across diverse sectors.
This visionary diversification strategy has quickly yielded results in global markets. Recently, SHPT's independently developed new low-power closed-loop air-cooled fuel cell system was shipped from Shanghai to overseas customers. Set to be deployed in a 25kg-class hydrogen-powered UAV inspection project in Germany, this product marks a crucial step in SHPT's strategic expansion from the automotive transportation sector to the low-altitude economy.
Currently, industrial UAVs are spearheading the development of the low-altitude economy with exponential growth. Critical applications—including power grid inspection, oil and gas station equipment inspection, water conservancy patrols and forest fire prevention—impose stringent requirements for equipment endurance, service life and environmental adaptability. Compared to traditional lithium battery solutions, fuel cells are injecting strong impetus into UAV technological innovation and scenario-based applications by virtue of their advantages in service life and endurance. Targeting the industrial UAV niche market that demands long endurance and extended service cycles, SHPT has launched its F-series fuel cell products, developing a comprehensive hydrogen-powered solution that injects new momentum into the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy.
As a strategic new product for SHPT's expansion into the low-altitude economy , the F-series fuel cell products feature a system power range flexibly scalable from 1kW to 60kW. These products are perfectly compatible with various UAV models including multi-rotor and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing UAVs weighing between 10kg and 500kg and comprehensively cover the high-frequency operational demands of industrial UAVs in scenarios such as large-scale equipment inspection, logistics transportation, and emergency fire-fighting. The F-series products have achieved multiple breakthroughs in technical R&D, focused on overcoming key challenges in endurance, lightweight design, spatial arrangement, and low-temperature adaptability, which redefining industry technical standards for hydrogen-powered UAVs with superior performance.
In terms of core performance, each single-module F-series system boasts a rated power of 6kW and incorporates an innovative closed-loop air-cooled design, which quadruples the service life compared with traditional open-loop air-cooled alternatives. In terms of environmental adaptability, it enables UAVs to start up normally and operate stably within a wide temperature range of -20℃ to 40℃, completely eliminating operational limitations caused by extreme weather conditions. Another key highlight is the enhanced refueling efficiency: hydrogen refueling for UAVs takes only 3–5 minutes, effectively addressing the pain points of prolonged downtime and low operational efficiency in industrial UAV operations.
Lightweight design is a core competency of the F-series products. SHPT has adopted titanium alloy bipolar plates in stack R&D, reducing weight by over 30% compared with graphite-based plates. The stack's mass power density is expected to exceed 1400 W/kg, an industry-leading level that creates more possibilities for boosting UAV endurance and enabling flexible hydrogen storage system configurations.
At present, SHPT has jointly developed a 25kg-class hydrogen-powered UAV with partners, which will be deployed in scenarios such as photovoltaic equipment inspection in Inner Mongolia. Boasting an endurance of over 1 hour—more than three times that of lithium battery solutions—and a 3-minute refueling turnaround time, this UAV is capable of multiple functions including logistics, patrols and aerial photography.
Building on its full industrial chain technical advantages, SHPT is accelerating the in-depth expansion of application scenarios with a broader perspective. It is focusing on the technological transformation and value extension of complex operational scenarios, such as large-scale infrastructure and industrial equipment inspection, long-distance heavy-haul logistics, comprehensive emergency rescue and forestry security. Meanwhile, the company is actively exploring diversified applications in two-wheelers, construction machinery, hydrogen power generation, shipping and aviation.
Through the deep integration of technological breakthroughs and commercial scenario innovation, SHPT is continuously expanding its business footprint while consolidating the foundation for sustainable development, demonstrating the strategic resolve of a leading enterprise in the hydrogen energy industry. Looking ahead, SHPT will strengthen international cooperation, actively integrate into the global hydrogen energy supply chain, and prioritize layout in key regions including Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, North America and South America. Leveraging localized market resources and advantages, SHPT aims to share China's fuel cell industry chain with global partners, jointly building cross-regional technical collaboration models, business models and a hydrogen energy ecosystem.
SOURCE Shanghai Hydrogen Propulsion Technology Co., Ltd.
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