China’s first large-scale natural gas hydrogen blending project on a scale of 100,000 households was officially launched in Weifang, Shandong

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On April 19, China’s first large-scale project for the use of natural gas blended with hydrogen on a scale of 100,000 households was officially launched in Weifang, Shandong. Starting today, the kitchens of 100,000 urban residents and businesses in Weifang’s central area will use hydrogen-blended natural gas on a regular basis, marking the completion of the ‘last mile’ in the application of hydrogen energy in China’s urban gas sector. Relying on the existing urban gas pipeline network, this project provides coverage for all gas-related needs in people’s daily lives as well as in commercial catering activities. The project uses 30,000 cubic meters of natural gas with hydrogen blending equipment, allowing the hydrogen mixing ratio to be adjusted flexibly between 0 and 10%; residents can continue using their existing gas appliances without any need to replace them. The project has been equipped with hydrogen production facilities capable of producing 5,000 cubic meters of hydrogen per hour, gas pipelines for transporting hydrogen in towns with a total length of 5.2 kilometers, as well as a domestically leading testing platform for the entire process of hydrogen blending and transportation; it can handle up to 13 million cubic meters of hydrogen per year. Before startup, the project had undergone continuous safe and stable trial operations in certain areas, and the key system parameters as well as the technical specifications of the equipment all met **the standards. **Pan Fengwen, deputy director of the Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Center, said that this project marks the first time in the country that large-scale, long-term, continuous and stable hydrogen blending applications have been implemented, and it serves as a significant model in terms of the utilization of green electricity, energy security, as well as energy conservation, emission reduction and carbon mitigation. Preliminary estimates show that if hydrogen is blended at a 10% rate into urban gas consumption across the country, it could replace approximately 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 30 million tons, save hundreds of millions of yuan in costs associated with natural gas procurement, and create new opportunities for large-scale utilization of green energy sources such as wind and solar power. This project is an important outcome of the scientific and technological demonstration project “Hydrogen to Every Household”, which is part of the key research and development plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. This project was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Shandong Provincial Government, with Jinan, Qingdao, Weifang, and Zibo as pilot cities. The implementation of a project on the scale of 100,000 units marks the official entry of this project into the stage of practical use for people’s livelihoods. Experts point out that blending natural gas with hydrogen is one of the most viable approaches for achieving large-scale utilization of hydrogen energy at the current stage. This project verified the adaptability of urban gas pipelines to low hydrogen blending ratios, opened up new pathways for large-scale utilization of green electricity, and provided technical parameters and operational experience for broader implementation across the country.