The Low-Load Trap in Hydrogen Systems: A Nested RIS-PTE Framework for Regional Synergy in China’s Yangtze River Delta

The Low-Load Trap in Hydrogen Systems: A Nested RIS-PTE Framework for Regional Synergy in China’s Yangtze River Delta | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Low-Load Trap in Hydrogen Systems: A Nested RIS-PTE Framework for Regional Synergy in China’s Yangtze River Delta Yunmei Wu, Hua Huang, Xunyan Bao, Lijuan Gao, Yu Wu, Bo Liu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9196130/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract While decarbonizing heavy-duty port logistics is a critical imperative for regional environmental sustainability, the large-scale transition to green hydrogen in industrial clusters is systematically constrained by a “low-load trap”, where localized resource scarcity and fragmented demand create a self-reinforcing cycle of high costs. While existing techno-economic frameworks typically treat hydrogen infrastructure as isolated nodes, this study transcends these spatial limitations by theorizing the structural transition of such environmental-energy systems through a newly proposed “Nested RIS-PTE” framework (Regional Innovation System embedded with Policy-Technology-Economy flows). Taking China’s Yangtze River Delta as a representative laboratory, we simulate how the spatial-functional coupling of inter-provincial levers, Shanghai’s R&D, Jiangsu’s manufacturing, and Anhui’s energy, and converges in Zhejiang’s application hub to dismantle entrenched cost barriers. Results demonstrate that this regional synergy drives a non-linear Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) reduction from 55.5 RMB/kg to a critical parity threshold of 30.6 RMB/kg. Beyond simple cost-cutting, we reveal a “Denominator Effect” triggered by a “Port-Corridor” strategy, which provides a mechanistic pathway for infrastructure to transcend the utilization bottleneck—elevating rates from a stagnant 36% to a commercially viable 75%. By identifying the exact techno-economic tipping points for heavy-duty commercialization, this study offers a replicable theoretical blueprint for resource-deficient yet market-rich urban agglomerations worldwide to unlock hydrogen economies and accelerate deep decarbonization through coordinated spatial governance. Cross-regional Synergy Green Hydrogen Economy Institutional Thickness Port Logistics Decarbonization Regional Innovation System (RIS) Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 14 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 14 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 10 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 08 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 01 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 27 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 25 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 23 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9196130","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":617743229,"identity":"c44f9885-54b6-4db9-af10-5ec442c041ec","order_by":0,"name":"Yunmei Wu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zhejiang Technical Institute of Economics","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yunmei","middleName":"","lastName":"Wu","suffix":""},{"id":617743230,"identity":"e4b8275d-9992-4d27-b1f6-97fe29bc5757","order_by":1,"name":"Hua 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While existing techno-economic frameworks typically treat hydrogen infrastructure as isolated nodes, this study transcends these spatial limitations by theorizing the structural transition of such environmental-energy systems through a newly proposed \u0026ldquo;Nested RIS-PTE\u0026rdquo; framework (Regional Innovation System embedded with Policy-Technology-Economy flows). Taking China\u0026rsquo;s Yangtze River Delta as a representative laboratory, we simulate how the spatial-functional coupling of inter-provincial levers, Shanghai\u0026rsquo;s R\u0026amp;D, Jiangsu\u0026rsquo;s manufacturing, and Anhui\u0026rsquo;s energy, and converges in Zhejiang\u0026rsquo;s application hub to dismantle entrenched cost barriers. Results demonstrate that this regional synergy drives a non-linear Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) reduction from 55.5 RMB/kg to a critical parity threshold of 30.6 RMB/kg. 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By identifying the exact techno-economic tipping points for heavy-duty commercialization, this study offers a replicable theoretical blueprint for resource-deficient yet market-rich urban agglomerations worldwide to unlock hydrogen economies and accelerate deep decarbonization through coordinated spatial governance.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The Low-Load Trap in Hydrogen Systems: A Nested RIS-PTE Framework for Regional Synergy in China’s Yangtze River Delta","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-06 10:31:12","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9196130/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-04-14T18:32:41+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-14T08:22:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-11T01:05:08+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"36812391795843627999431263219695476556","date":"2026-04-10T21:15:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-08T08:43:19+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"336992587434037673681457647652620354919","date":"2026-04-07T08:19:23+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"170325937747726720308667838484533602927","date":"2026-04-01T12:53:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"23795259043127465494746074207529319930","date":"2026-04-01T05:32:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-01T04:16:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-27T22:05:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-25T05:19:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Environmental Systems Research","date":"2026-03-23T05:53:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-systems-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ensr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Systems Research](http://environmentalsystemsresearch.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"40068","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/40068/3","title":"Environmental Systems Research","twitterHandle":"@SpringerOpen","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a31bc555-afcd-4259-84fc-b79d523da36d","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 6th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-01T02:24:56+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-06 10:31:12","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9196130","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9196130","identity":"rs-9196130","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}