Photovoltaic hydrogen production and the world’s largest photovoltaic hydrogen production facility

Photovoltaic hydrogen production can address the instability issue associated with photovoltaic power generation. Both photovoltaic power generation and wind power generation are inevitably dependent on weather conditions. Take photovoltaic power generation as an example: on rainy days, its performance becomes very poor. Therefore, the electricity generated by photovoltaic power generation is unstable. Unstable energy sources pose a significant problem for power grids. Electric energy is an immediate source of power that cannot be stored in large quantities. Excess electrical energy needs to be converted into other forms for storage, such as in pump-storage power stations; otherwise it will be wasted. Photovoltaic hydrogen production can also be understood using a similar approach; it allows for the utilization of excess electricity generated by photovoltaic systems, converting that electricity into hydrogen energy. Therefore, photovoltaic hydrogen production can largely address the issue of wasted solar energy.

Hydrogen production using wind power is more environmentally friendly. Currently, there are two methods for producing hydrogen: hydrogen production from fossil fuels and hydrogen production through water electrolysis. Wind power-based hydrogen production can effectively reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and pollutant emissions, while enabling the combined production of wind energy with coal chemical and petroleum chemical industries. Wind power hydrogen production can improve the utilization rate of wind energy. The issue of integrating wind power into the grid has always been a global challenge, and the problems faced by China’s wind power industry in this regard are even more pronounced. Wind resources in China are concentrated, mostly found in the Three North regions (Northwest, North China, and Northeast China) as well as in the southeastern coastal areas, as shown in the diagram. This concentration of wind resources results in most wind farms in China being of the centralized type. The market size in these resource-rich areas is small; despite having abundant wind energy, it is difficult to utilize this energy locally. Moreover, wind power is characterized by volatility and intermittency, which means that grid integration of wind power requires the establishment of backup power sources for peak shaving. However, the Three North regions, where China’s wind resources are concentrated, do not have the capability to provide such backup power. Wind power-based hydrogen production can utilize wind energy to generate electricity for the purpose of producing hydrogen; it would be even better if this process could make use of wind energy that is otherwise wasted, as such wind energy is already unused and thus its cost is zero. It is possible to reduce the regional wind energy waste rate while increasing the installed capacity of wind power facilities; especially in the southeastern coastal areas, where wind and water resources are abundant, offshore wind power for hydrogen production offers hope for the development of this industry. Hydrogen production can be carried out using wind energy that is restricted from being utilized during periods of low electricity demand in the grid; as a result, wind farms do not need to be equipped with grid connection facilities, the wind turbines can be **simplified**, and the efficiency of wind energy utilization can be effectively improved.

Disadvantages of hydrogen production using wind power. However, producing hydrogen with wind power is not that simple. In theory, wind power-based hydrogen production seems to be an excellent solution for making use of wind energy. Yet why has this approach remained merely theoretical, with so few wind power-based hydrogen production projects existing worldwide? The reason why wind power-based hydrogen production has not been widely adopted is mainly: 1. High hydrogen production costs. In terms of the cost per cubic meter of hydrogen produced, the cost of producing hydrogen from coal is less than 1 yuan. To produce 1 cubic meter of hydrogen, 5.1–5.2 kilowatt-hours of electricity are required; even at a price of 0.25 yuan per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated from wind power, the electricity cost alone for producing hydrogen via wind power amounts to 1.25 yuan, meaning it lacks a competitive advantage. 2. High transportation costs. There are three common methods for transporting hydrogen today: pipeline transport, long tube trailers, and cylinder transport. Pipeline transportation usually involves on-site gas production, with the hydrogen generated being used directly in industrial applications, which is quite different from the concept of hydrogen production via wind power and its subsequent transportation. The latter two methods of hydrogen transport involve small-scale transportation of hydrogen, resulting in low efficiency; clearly, in such cases, large-scale hydrogen transportation is not economical. 3. The hydrogen absorption capacity needs to be improved. Hydrogen is widely used in industries such as chemicals, electronics, and light industry, and these industries are generally located in coastal areas. This creates a geographical conflict with the Three Northern Regions, which have abundant wind resources; moreover, the capacity of those regions to consume hydrogen also needs to be enhanced. On the other hand, taking HCNG (hydrogen-blended natural gas), which has a high demand for hydrogen energy, and fuel cell vehicle technology as examples, these industries are still some way away from large-scale commercialization; moreover, fuel cell vehicles represent a medium to long-term market with a relatively long payback period for investments. Therefore, for wind-powered hydrogen production to develop, the hydrogen industry must advance first. In Guyuan County, Hebei Province, China, a 200-megawatt wind farm, a 10-megawatt electrolysis system for hydrogen production, and a hydrogen utilization system are being built simultaneously. The wind energy is used directly for hydrogen production, and the hydrogen generated is utilized in the local hydrogen industry development plans – this represents an ideal approach.

I don’t know if the cost of catalysts has been reduced