The National Energy Administration of China has unveiled a comprehensive plan to advance pilot hydrogen projects across the nation to enhance the production, infrastructure, and utilisation of hydrogen by 2035, reported Hydrogen Insight.
This programme positions the country to expand its lead in the hydrogen market.
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The initiative encompasses 11 categories of pilot projects, spanning three for production, two for storage and transportation, four for end-use applications, integrated hubs and extensive research and development efforts.
A key focus is the establishment of large-scale green hydrogen production facilities, with a minimum capacity of 100MW or a production rate exceeding 20,000 normal cubic metres (Nm3) of hydrogen per hour.
These large-scale pilots are expected to source a maximum of 20% of their power from the grid and maintain an operational load of at least 50%.
China’s progress in green hydrogen is already evident with Envision Energy’s 500MW project in Chifeng, which began production last year.
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By GlobalDataMoreover, the administration is encouraging off-grid green hydrogen production for potential use in remote locations such as deep-sea, with a minimum electrolyser capacity of 10MW.
The production category also includes “clean and low-carbon” hydrogen pilots, focusing on utilising industrial by-product hydrogen and incorporating carbon capture and storage for fossil-based hydrogen.
These projects are required to produce at least 5,000Nm3 of hydrogen per hour.
In terms of transportation, the government is supporting pilots for long-distance hydrogen transport, specifying a minimum pipeline length of 100km or vehicles that can carry at least 600kg of hydrogen.
Additionally, liquefaction plants involved in the pilots must have a processing capacity of at least five tonnes per day.
For storage, pilot projects must have a minimum capacity of 20,000Nm3. The administration is also expected to set up pilots for hydrogen end-use in sectors such as refining, power generation, long-term energy storage, and fuel cells.
Refining pilots must produce at least 1,000tpa of renewable hydrogen while fuel cell projects should have a capacity of at least 0.5MW.
Power generation pilots involve gas turbines of at least 10MW running on a 15% hydrogen or ammonia blend, and coal-fired boilers of at least 300MW operating on a 10% hydrogen or ammonia mix.
Long-term energy storage pilots are required to have a 1MW output and sustain full load generation for a minimum of four hours.
