SHENZHEN, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's southern tech hub Shenzhen expects to see its first hydrogen fuel cell bus line go into operation next year, local authorities said Wednesday.

The line is scheduled to be first launched in the Shenshan special cooperation zone in the first half of 2020, and extend to urban bus lines in Shenzhen, with the total length exceeding 100 km. The first hydrogen refueling station will also be built in the zone.

The Shenzhen Bus Group Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Gas Group Co., Ltd., a local tech company and a new energy automobile firm, signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement on Wednesday in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

The four sides will join hands to promote the operation of new energy buses, the construction and safe operation of hydrogen refueling stations, the research and application of hydrogen fuel cells and the development of intelligent manufacturing of new energy buses, according to the agreement.

By the end of 2017, all buses in Shenzhen were fully electric.