Development of key equipment for hydrogen energy in China: 420 hydrogen refueling stations will be built in China in 2023
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2023-1-2 at 17:53. 1. Hydrogen storage tanks: There are three main methods for storing hydrogen – gaseous storage, liquid storage, and solid storage. High-pressure gaseous storage is currently the most widely used and mature hydrogen storage technique. In this method, industrial hydrogen is compressed into pressure-resistant containers, with steel cylinders being the most common type of container for high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage. The high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinders that are currently in commercial use are mainly Type I, Type II, Type III, and Type IV cylinders. Type IV tanks are likely to better meet the evolving requirements of on-board hydrogen storage systems in terms of safety, high hydrogen storage density, light weight, low cost, and long service life. As the raw materials for Type IV tanks become more domestically produced in the future, their cost-effectiveness will increase, facilitating their wider use in new energy vehicles.
Hydrogen storage materials: In recent years, research on metal-based hydrogen storage materials for civilian use has focused on the practical application of hydrogen fuel cells. The main areas of application are in clean fuel vehicles and mopeds, etc. In the future, research will also be conducted on hydrogen-powered electricity generation as a substitute energy source to address the global crisis related to petrochemical fuels. In 2020, the market size for hydrogen storage materials in China was 762 million yuan, and it is expected to rise to 901 million yuan by 2023.
3. Air compressor: The air compressor is an important component of the cathode gas supply system for hydrogen fuel cells. In terms of type, the air compressors sold in China are mainly two-stage, boost-type, air foil bearing centrifugal air compressors. In recent years, the shipments of hydrogen fuel cell air compressors in our country have increased significantly. Data shows that in 2021, Chinese companies shipped over 10,000 fuel cell air compressors, a 146% increase compared to the previous year, reaching around 10,740 units. The shipment volume of air compressor manufacturers was significantly higher than that of products in similar categories such as hydrogen circulation components and humidifiers.
4. Hydrogen refueling stations: With the increasing number of fuel cell vehicles, and as state-owned energy companies such as Sinopec and CNPC accelerate their involvement in this field, the number of hydrogen refueling stations in China has increased significantly. By the end of 2021, a total of 218 hydrogen refueling stations had been built in China, 100 more than the previous year, representing a year-on-year increase of 31.65%; this growth rate was faster than that of the global average. Given the strong demand for hydrogen stations in the current market situation, it is expected that 420 hydrogen stations will be built in China in 2023.
5. Hydrogen fuel cell stack: The hydrogen fuel cell stack is the core of a hydrogen fuel cell system; it is the device that generates electricity through redox chemical reactions. Thanks to the increasing sales of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the domestic market, shipments of hydrogen fuel cell stacks in China have grown rapidly. Data shows that from 2017 to 2021, the shipment volume of domestic hydrogen fuel cell stacks increased rapidly from 49.6 megawatts to 522.3 megawatts, with a compound annual growth rate of 80.1%. It is expected that by 2023, the shipment volume of hydrogen fuel cell stacks in China will reach 2,931.8 megawatts.
6. Hydrogen fuel cells: With policy support, domestic hydrogen fuel cell technology has made significant progress. Data shows that from 2017 to 2021, the shipments of hydrogen fuel cell systems in China rose from 38.6 megawatts to 405.7 megawatts, with a compound annual growth rate of 80.1%. In the future, driven by the rapid development of the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle industry and other emerging application areas, shipments of hydrogen fuel cell systems in China are expected to reach 2,370.2 megawatts by 2023.