Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, opened five bus routes dedicated to hydrogen-powered buses Wednesday, in a bid to cut carbon emission.

A total of 21 buses will run on these routes, according to the local bus group. The city is also accelerating the construction of hydrogen fueling stations and relevant infrastructure.

Hydrogen buses are less noisy and more efficient than traditional vehicles. The vehicles, which produce no pollution, can run 300 km on a 6-minute refuel, according to the group.

Several major Chinese cities including Shanghai and Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, have plans to promote the use of hydrogen-powered buses.

By 2020, Shanghai aims to have 3,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles in operation.