Sinopec’s first PEM hydrogen production demonstration plant was put into operation at Yanshan Petrochemical

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Sinopec’s first PEM hydrogen production demonstration plant was put into operation at Yanshan Petrochemical. Author/Source: Energy & Chemical News. Date: November 5, 2021. Clicks: 17. On November 4, the inauguration ceremony for Sinopec’s first proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen production demonstration plant was held at Yanshan Petrochemical. This event marked the completion of the entire production process for PEM hydrogen production equipment developed by Sinopec itself, covering key materials, core components, and system integration. It provided valuable experience for the development of electrolysis-based hydrogen production technologies and equipment by Sinopec, while also laying a solid foundation for the localization of megawatt-scale PEM electrolysis systems for hydrogen production. The integration of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis technology with the photovoltaic power generated by Yanshan Petrochemical will enable the production of true green hydrogen, which is of great significance for Beijing and Sinopec in accelerating their transition to green energy, establishing green hydrogen energy bases, and speeding up carbon emission reductions. The launch of this PEM hydrogen production demonstration station covers the entire process, from key materials and core components to system integration. It marks Sinopec’s achievement in localizing PEM electrolyzer-based hydrogen production equipment, which is the first time such a thing has happened within Sinopec’s system. It is reported that the PEM hydrogen production demonstration station of Sinopec uses high-performance anode and cathode catalysts independently developed by the Research Institute of Petrochemical Science, which offer significant advantages in terms of production process, specific activity, and long-term stability. By using large-area, uniform membrane electrodes, the area of these electrodes is more than twice that of those in traditional electrolyzers. This design approach can be directly applied to develop electrolyzers with a capacity of several megawatts per unit, providing a design basis for conducting large-scale tests on proton exchange membrane electrolysis for hydrogen production. The proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, which serves as the core component, achieves a hydrogen production efficiency of over 85%; key material components such as its cathode and anode catalysts, bipolar plates, and current collectors are all domestically produced.