Under the new power system

the share of renewable energy has significantly increased the demands for grid flexibility regulation

while the decline in thermal power capacity necessitates faster response and greater operational flexibility. Advancing thermal power flexibility transformation has become key to enhancing grid regulation and ensuring energy security. Hydrogen energy

with its advantages of being clean

long-term scalable

and high in energy density

offers a promising solution. By coupling hydrogen production

storage

and utilization with thermal power

deep peak shaving can be enhanced

and carbon emissions can be reduced

providing a low-carbon and high-efficiency pathway for thermal power flexibility transformation. This paper reviews policy trends and industry developments

examines the feasibility and prospects of hydrogen energy in improving thermal power flexibility

and analyzes the advantages of hydrogen storage-thermal power coupling compared to power storage–thermal power and heat storage-thermal power coupling. Unlike power and heat storage

which are limited by short-duration capacity or single-mode regulation

hydrogen storage coupling enables multi-timescale energy buffering

enhances electric–thermal synergy

and improves system scheduling flexibility. Additionally

this paper explores feasible design schemes

and addresses key challenges in structural design

process control

and evaluation mechanisms. Finally

this paper further investigates technical bottlenecks in hydrogen production-storage-use integration

such as energy flow coupling

dynamic matching

and safety constraints

and proposes potential solutions to support research

engineering applications

and large-scale deployment of hydrogen-enhanced thermal power flexibility.