Production at Sinopec’s 20,000 tonne green hydrogen plant begins

Sinopec, a state-owned Chinese company, has commenced production at its 20,000-tonne-per-year green hydrogen plant in Xinjang. Located in Kuqa city, this facility is touted as the first solar green hydrogen plant in the People's Republic with a production capacity exceeding 10,000 tonnes annually, making it the largest green hydrogen facility in the country.

The plant also features substantial storage and transmission capabilities, with storage capacity reaching 210,000 cubic metres and transmission capacity at 28,000 cubic metres. It will primarily supply Sinopec's refinery in Tahe, replacing the use of grey hydrogen.

Sinopec initiated this project in 2021 and committed an investment of $470 million towards capacity development. Earlier in February 2023, Sinopec launched a separate green hydrogen project in Inner Mongolia, involving an investment of $828.04 million, with the potential to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

Furthermore, Sinopec has strategic plans to construct a 400km west-to-east hydrogen pipeline. This pipeline aims to transport hydrogen supply from regions abundant in renewables to the energy-consuming eastern areas.

In an article for H2 View in May 2023, Hack Heyward stated that the China Hydrogen Alliance (CHA) predicts hydrogen demand in China to reach 35 million tonnes per year by 2035, constituting 5% of the nation's total energy consumption.