Sinopec launches world’s largest PV green hydrogen project

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation or Sinopec yesterday launched virtually in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Urumqi and Kuqa, China’s first 10,000-ton photovoltaic (PV) green hydrogen pilot project.

An estimated 485,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced per year upon completion of the project. The project is expected to be completed and put into operation in June 2023.

The Sinopec Xinjiang Kuqa Green Hydrogen Pilot Project, with a total investment of CNY3 billion (USD470 million), has officially started construction. Upon completion, the project will produce an annual green hydrogen output of 20,000 tons, making it the world’s largest photovoltaic green hydrogen production project.

The green hydrogen produced by the plant will be supplied to Sinopec Tahe Refining & Chemical and will replace the existing natural gas and fossil-based energy being used to produce hydrogen.

The project includes a hydrogen production plant that directly uses large-scale photovoltaic power generation. It comprises five sections: photovoltaic power generation, power transmission and transformation, hydrogen from water electrolysis, hydrogen storage and hydrogen transport.

Sinopec will build a new photovoltaic power station with an installed capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) and annual power generation of 618 million kilowatt-hours (kwh), an electrolyzed water hydrogen plant with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons, a spherical hydrogen storage tank with hydrogen storage capacity of 210,000 standard cubic meters, and hydrogen transmission pipelines with a capacity of 28,000 standard cubic meters per hour (including supporting power transmission and transformation facilities).

China’s “dual-carbon” goals

A concrete action of Sinopec’s pledge to support China’s “dual-carbon” goals and pursuance of green, low-carbon development, the project is of great significance for China.  It is part of a green hydrogen industry chain  as well as part of the economic and social development plan for the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, guaranteeing energy security and carrying forward the transformation and upgrading of China’s energy industry.

“Hydrogen energy is one of the sources of clean energy that has the most potential for development. This pilot project gives full play to Xinjiang’s advantage in its wealth of resources and is a key project for Sinopec to build a No.1 hydrogen energy company. It’s also a major strategic achievement for local-enterprise cooperation and is of great significance to promoting social and economic development in Xinjiang, advancing energy transformation, ensuring China’s energy security and supporting the sustainable development of the global economy,” said Ma Yongsheng, president of Sinopec.