Shanghai Electric Accelerates Development of Hydrogen Energy Chain for Expanded Clean Energy Use
Shanghai Electric is focusing on integrating wind, solar, storage and hydrogen solutions as a key strategy to develop clean energy applications in the future.
SHANGHAI , July 30, 2024 / — Shanghai Electric (the “Company”) (SEHK:2727, SSE:601727) announced that it has taken another important step towards reducing the overall cost of green hydrogen production with the development of the Z series alkaline electrolyzer , an energy-saving innovation that is making a breakthrough in the renewable energy market as a solution to increase the economic viability of emission-free hydrogen production.
This is another step forward in the decarbonization of the industry and a testament to Shanghai Electric’s prowess in energy innovation. It will facilitate the application of green hydrogen in industry, as well as in the chemical, transportation, metallurgy and green energy storage sectors.
“Hydrogen production is a multi-segment process that involves a long industrial chain, and cost is the main challenge. Green hydrogen is more expensive than conventional hydrogen and requires solutions for production, storage, refueling and operation. Our goal is to improve the entire technological chain to reduce costs across the industry,” said Wu Liang , Chief Engineer of Shanghai Bright-H Technology Co., Ltd.
Green hydrogen, or its purest form, is becoming a key solution in the global efforts to expand renewable energy and decarbonize. However, the economic viability of its production, storage, refueling and operation remains a major challenge. Shanghai Bright-H Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Bright-H Technology”), a subsidiary of Shanghai Electric, focuses on the most important issues and technological challenges in the industry, developing solutions covering all key links in the hydrogen energy development chain.
Drawing on the potential of alkaline electrolysis and PEM, Bright-H Technology aims to serve customers as a comprehensive system solution at the interface of “production-storage-fueling-operation”, contributing to breakthroughs in the development of green chemical, metallurgical, transportation and energy industries.
Shanghai Electric has been developing hydrogen production technology and exploring its commercial application with other energy sources since 2015. This is part of its broader efforts to pioneer new directions for clean energy innovation. As part of this effort, Shanghai Electric has spearheaded a number of pilot projects, putting it at the forefront of hydrogen innovations that are set to be incorporated into the broader clean energy ecosystem.
In the field of hydrogen production, the company pursues two technological paths, leveraging its potential to build an industrial chain. In June 2023, Shanghai Electric independently manufactured and launched an alkaline electrolyzer with a production rate of 2,000 Nm3/h, the largest single hydrogen production module in China at the time. In October 2023, the company launched a megawatt PEM electrolyzer with a production rate of 200 Nm3/h, which had the best parameters in the industry in China, featuring a compact, lightweight and flexible structure suitable for hydrogen refueling stations.
Shanghai Electric has also developed high-pressure hydrogen tanks and offers membrane compressors for hydrogen refueling, while constantly looking for other applications for hydrogen, such as green chemical production and wind turbines operating on a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas. In November 2023, the company conducted tests of a gas turbine operating on a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas at the Datang Haikou power plant, achieving a hydrogen volume ratio of over 7%. This is the first F-class installation operating in China. In addition, Shanghai Electric’s DeNOx burner allows for the production of mixtures with up to 30 percent hydrogen.
The company currently has a portfolio of hydrogen investments in the energy, transport and chemical industries, playing a leading role in the development of sustainable solutions and driving innovation in the area of green hydrogen. The project of combining wind energy with biomass to produce green methanol in Taonan is to have a production capacity of one million tons of green methanol per year. The production is to take place in three stages. The first stage assumes the implementation of a wind-biomass installation for the production of green methanol with a production potential of 250 thousand tons and an installed capacity of 680 thousand kilowatts of energy from sustainable sources.
Meanwhile, the Bright-H Technology Zero Emission Solution Demonstration Project combines renewable energy production and PEM electrolysis for hydrogen production and storage with fuel cells. The energy generated by the installation is obtained from renewable sources, and the cells provide additional power during periods of low demand, enabling zero emissions hydrogen production and green energy self-sufficiency.
More information about hydrogen R&D and other projects currently underway at Shanghai Electric can be found at https://www.shanghai-electric.com/group_en/ .
