The first set in China! Major breakthrough in solar hydrogen production

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Recently, CNPC Shenzhen New Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd. (referred to as Shenzhen Institute) successfully developed China’s first decoupled, square-meter-scale photoelectrochemical hydrogen production system, which has been able to operate continuously and stably in outdoor conditions. This achievement marks an important breakthrough for Sinopec in the engineering application of solar direct hydrogen production technology. At present, the development of hydrogen energy in our country faces dual challenges in terms of structure and cost. For green hydrogen, with an electricity price of 0.3 yuan per kilowatt-hour, the cost of producing hydrogen through water electrolysis is high, resulting in significant economic inefficiency. Therefore, developing new hydrogen production technologies that feature short processes, high integration, and rapid response has become an urgent need for the industry. Against this backdrop, the Shenzhen Institute intensified its efforts and developed a device for direct hydrogen production from solar energy. This device utilizes a newly developed square-meter-scale array-based integrated photovoltaic hydrogen production structure as well as high-performance photoelectrode materials, which not only significantly reduces manufacturing costs but also greatly enhances the system’s maintainability and scalability. In outdoor tests, the device operated stably under natural lighting conditions. Test data show that under conditions of 7 hours of light per day, the device can produce approximately 30 liters of green hydrogen per square meter, with its light-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency reaching an internationally advanced level. This device boasts outstanding features such as controllable costs, strong adaptability, and environmental friendliness, offering broad application prospects. Currently, the research team is working on the development of larger-scale devices, with the goal of achieving demonstration applications of 100-square-meter-scale devices within the next 5 years. Related link: Solar hydrogen production, also known as photovoltaic hydrogen production, relies on the basic principle of first generating electricity using solar photovoltaics, and then electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Photovoltaic hydrogen production primarily makes use of the direct current generated by photovoltaic power generation systems to supply the electricity needed for hydrogen production at the hydrogen production plants. The technical approaches involved include hydrogen production using solid oxide electrolyzers, alkaline electrolyzers, and polymer membrane electrolyzers. Photovoltaic hydrogen production offers advantages such as being clean and pollution-free, having low costs, high conversion efficiency, great energy storage capacity, and the ability to mitigate the instability of photovoltaic power generation. As the world’s largest consumer and importer of fossil fuels, the importance of China developing and utilizing hydrogen energy is self-evident. In recent years, China’s hydrogen production has been increasing steadily; by 2024, domestic hydrogen production reached 36.95 million tons. For many consecutive years, China has remained the world’s largest producer of hydrogen. There are various methods for producing hydrogen, and it can be classified into \"gray hydrogen,\" \"blue hydrogen,\" and \"green hydrogen\" depending on the carbon emissions generated during its production. Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by using renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, nuclear energy, etc. This type of hydrogen produces virtually no carbon emissions during its production process, which is why it is also known as “zero-carbon hydrogen”. As an important component of the new energy supply and consumption system, further strengthening the supply infrastructure will contribute to transforming the ways in which energy is produced and consumed. Statistical data shows that by the end of 2024, over 100 domestic green hydrogen projects had been built, with a production capacity of more than 100,000 tons. ““Photovoltaics + Hydrogen”, as a zero-carbon energy source and clean energy storage medium, has become a typical pathway for cross-sector integration in the photovoltaic industry. It also creates new application scenarios and vast market demand for the PV sector. In recent years, solar hydrogen production projects have been launched one after another, with the scale of production continuing to expand. The upstream segment of the solar hydrogen production industry chain mainly includes solar power generation equipment, hydrogen production equipment, and hydrogen storage and transportation equipment. Solar power generation equipment comprises photovoltaic modules, inverters, controllers, etc ； Hydrogen production equipment includes electrolyzers, gas-water separators, pressure regulators, etc ； Hydrogen storage and transportation equipment includes high-pressure gas cylinders, cryogenic storage systems, hydrogen pipelines, etc. This provides the necessary equipment support for the solar hydrogen production industry, ensuring the stable operation of the entire industrial chain. Downstream applications of solar hydrogen production are extremely diverse, covering areas such as transportation, energy storage, and industrial production.