Sinopec Group to Evolve into China's Top Hydrogen Enterprise

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is to develop its hydrogen production, supply and marketing chain in a bid to become China's top enterprise in the field.

As hydrogen is one of the keys to future technological revolution and industrial development, Sinopec Group has made it a major part of its new energy business to realize the goal of reaching peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, and it will expand its integrated industrial chain in order to become China's top hydrogen enterprise.

China's best hydrogen production capacity

Sinopec Group is capable of producing 3.5 million tons of hydrogen annually, accounting for 14 percent of the nation's total output and the most of any of the country's enterprises in this field.

Currently, the company's hydrogen business includes hydrogen production, transport, refueling and use, and it has gained mature technologies and significant experience.

It now produces hydrogen by three ways and has refinery plants nationwide, laying a solid foundation for the future supply of hydrogen vehicle refueling stations and hydrogen production through the electrolysis of water.

With rich experience in the transport and storage of hydrogen gas, liquid hydrogen and various hazardous chemical substances, the company has built three long hydrogen transmission pipelines.

Although hydrogen refueling and utilization has not yet been popularized, it is believed that all sections along the industrial chain should contribute to the development of the hydrogen industry.

Sinopec Group, an ultra-large energy enterprise, is cooperating with automobile manufacturers to develop hydrogen-powered vehicles, and making efforts in the fields of scientific research, production and marketing.

Construction of hydrogen vehicle refueling stations is also a key part of the nation's hydrogen infrastructure.

Currently, such hydrogen stations are generally renovated from former gas stations. This has proved the fastest way to build a hydrogen station network in places like Japan and the US.

With China's largest energy transportation network, Sinopec Group can renovate stations at lower cost.

Full hydrogen industrial chain

Immature hydrogen production technology and business models caused by incomplete laws and regulations in the field are two of the main issues that restrict the development of the hydrogen industry.

Taking advantage of its strong research and development, production and plant network, Sinopec Group has made breakthroughs in various respects.

The high purity hydrogen production demonstration facility at Sinopec Shanghai Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co., Ltd went into operation in September 2020.

The company's first high purity hydrogen production facility to have proprietary intellectual property rights, it can produce hydrogen with a 99.999 percent purity level.

As the facility occupies a smaller area and requires less cost and energy, it is expected to help lower the cost of hydrogen utilization in vehicles.

The high purity hydrogen projects for fuel-cell vehicles built by Sinopec Yanshan Petrochemical Company and Sinopec Guangzhou Petrochemical Company are now in operation, and will start to supply high purity hydrogen once they obtain fueling license.

The first hydrogen fueling facility in South China's Hainan Province, designed and built by a subsidiary of Sinopec Group in the region, opened for service on April 16, 2021. It will contribute to the development of the hydrogen industry in Hainan.

Sinopec Group has been working flat out on scientific research, laying a solid foundation for hydrogen development.

The company launched its new energy institute in September 2018 to provide key technologies and decision-making for hydrogen industry development.

The institute has built research and development platforms for hydrogen purification and electrolysis of water and fuel cells, and has been responsible for assorted major projects presided over by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Sinopec Group's other institutes have also cooperated with each other, playing a role in new material research and solving problems caused by long, full industrial chains, the unbalanced development of industrial chains, the development of core equipment and the high cost of hydrogen sources.

Convenient hydrogen refueling

Sinopec Group plans to build a green hydrogen demonstration project with an output of 1 million tons during China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

Sinopec Star Co., Ltd., Sinopec Group's subsidiary focusing on green and clean energy, said that the world's largest green hydrogen production project is expected to be built in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The company is now working on solar and wind power-based hydrogen production projects in Xinjiang and North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

What's more, the company plans to build and operate 100 hydrogen vehicle refueling stations by the end of this year and aims to complete 1,000 such stations during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period in order to make hydrogen refueling as convenient as gas refueling.

Upgrading current gas stations into comprehensive energy stations integrating oil, gas, hydrogen and other power services is also a goal of Sinopec Group.

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)