The world's first framework standard for hydrogen-powered UAVs, IEEE 1958, has been officially released.

On May 22, 2026, the Forum on Coordinated Development of Low-Altitude Hydrogen-Powered UAV Industry and IEEE Standards was successfully held at Futian Convention & Exhibition Center in Shenzhen. The event was co-hosted by the Shenzhen UAV Industry Association and the IEEE 1958 Working Group for Hydrogen-Powered UAV Series Standards. Lei Zhendong, Chief Scientist, and Chen Yang, Dean of Dongyang Jipei Advanced Materials & Devices Research Institute, attended the forum as invited guests.

The world’s first framework standard for hydrogen-powered UAVs, IEEE 1958, was officially released during the forum. As a core participating organization, Dongyang Jipei Advanced Materials & Devices Research Institute took an in-depth part in the standard formulation. Dr. Lei Zhendong, Chief Scientist of the Institute, served as the Primary Editor of this standard, helping establish an authoritative and unified international technical framework for the hydrogen-powered UAV industry.

1. A Milestone Standard: Setting the Benchmark for the Hydrogen-Powered UAV Industry

Driven by the vigorous growth of the low-altitude economy and rapid upgrades of hydrogen energy technologies, hydrogen-powered UAVs have become essential equipment for low-altitude logistics, emergency rescue, power line inspection and other scenarios, thanks to their zero-emission and long-endurance strengths. For a long time, however, the industry lacked a unified international framework standard. This led to inconsistent technical routes and safety regulations across enterprises, hindering large-scale development and global expansion of the sector.

Developed under the leadership of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a world-renowned authoritative organization, IEEE 1958 marks a milestone in the standardization of the hydrogen-powered UAV industry. It defines top-level specifications for core areas including power systems, safety codes, operational management and supporting infrastructure of hydrogen-powered UAVs. Serving as the fundamental reference for subsequent sub-standards covering cylinders & valves, hydrogen refueling ports, flight control data interfaces and other segmented fields, this standard delivers unified and authoritative technical guidelines. It effectively addresses fragmented industry standards and advances the standardized and coordinated development of the global hydrogen-powered UAV industry.

2. Contribution of Jipei: Empowering Standard Formulation with Technical Expertise

As a key participant in developing the world’s first framework standard for hydrogen-powered UAVs, Dongyang Jipei Advanced Materials & Devices Research Institute leveraged its strong R&D strengths in advanced materials and components throughout the drafting, review and revision of the standard.

With profound expertise and extensive industry influence in the R&D of core hydrogen energy materials and components, Dr. Lei Zhendong acted as the Primary Editor of IEEE 1958. He led the formulation and refinement of key technical clauses concerning hydrogen storage material performance, power component safety and system reliability testing.

During the standard development, the Institute drew on its technical advantages in hydrogen storage material stability testing, component weather resistance assessment and performance verification under extreme environments. It provided solid scientific data and technical solutions to ensure the standard is advanced, scientifically sound and practically implementable. This achievement demonstrates the Institute’s robust technical capabilities and industry influence in the field of low-altitude hydrogen energy applications.

3 Future Outlook: Driving Industrial Innovation via Standards

The release of IEEE 1958 has not only paved the way for mutual recognition of international standards in the hydrogen-powered UAV sector, helping domestic enterprises break through technical barriers and expand global markets, but also charted the course for the Institute’s future R&D work.

Going forward, Jipei Research Institute will further integrate advanced materials and component technologies with the low-altitude hydrogen energy industry. It will leverage standards to spearhead technological innovation and empower industrial advancement with cutting-edge technologies, contributing its strength to the high-quality development of China’s low-altitude economy.