CHONGQING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- National Hydrogen Power Quality Inspection and Testing Center, an organization dedicated to boosting the development of China's hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle industry, started operation Monday in Chongqing Municipality.

With a total investment of 500 million yuan (73.9 million U.S. dollars), the center covers an area of 190 mu (around 12.67 hectares) with labs for hydrogen-powered vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, and power assembly.

It can provide testing services for the whole industrial chain, including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, critical auto parts, and hydrogen quality.

The center, the first of its kind in China, was established by China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd.

In recent years, Chongqing in southwest China has ramped up efforts to promote the development of the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle industry, with a number of automakers rolling out various car models and key supporting enterprises taking root there.

It has cooperated with neighboring Sichuan Province to build a "hydrogen corridor," under which around 1,000 hydrogen fuel-cell logistics vehicles are expected to go into service by 2025.