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China’s First Methanol-to-Hydrogen and Hydrogen Refueling Station Put into Operation Author/Source: Sinochem News Network Date: February 16, 2023 Clicks: 18 It produces 1,000 kilograms per day of high-purity hydrogen with a purity of 99.999%, resulting in cost savings of over 20% compared to traditional hydrogen usage methods. On February 15, China’s first methanol-to-hydrogen and hydrogen refueling station was officially put into operation in the Dalian Free Trade Zone in Liaoning Province. Wang Haibo, general manager of Sinopec Northern Energy (Dalian) Co., Ltd., the project owner, told a reporter from China Chemical Industry News that the facility is capable of producing 1,000 kilograms of hydrogen with a purity of 99.999% per day, and that the overall cost can be reduced by more than 20% compared to using traditional hydrogen production methods. According to Wang Haibo, the methanol-to-hydrogen hydrogenation integrated station was developed by upgrading the Dalian Shengang Oil, Gas, Hydrogen and Electricity Service \"five-in-one\" comprehensive energy supply station operated by Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales Company. It utilizes a distributed methanol-to-hydrogen system independently developed by Sinopec, achieving a hydrogen production efficiency that is among the highest in the country, with the ability to produce 500 standard cubic meters of hydrogen per hour. This station features advantages such as miniaturization, modularity, and intelligence. The main unit occupies only 64 square meters, whereas traditional equipment with a similar hydrogen production capacity requires more than 500 square meters. Built using the \"skid-mounted installation method,\" it boasts the highest land utilization rate in the country, along with a simple layout and short construction time, making it suitable for replication and widespread adoption. At the same time, the automation and intelligence level of the device is among the best in China, enabling intelligent operations such as one-click start/stop and cloud-based monitoring. Furthermore, the device boasts excellent environmental performance, with no solid waste generated during production, no wastewater discharged, and no exhaust gas pollution. While meeting the safety and operational control requirements of hydrogen refueling stations, it has lower energy consumption and less methanol usage compared to similar domestic installations, resulting in significant energy savings and economic benefits. It is understood that in the traditional hydrogen usage model, hydrogen is transported from its source to hydrogen refueling stations for storage and use; therefore, the storage and transportation of hydrogen represent a key factor that currently limits the development of the hydrogen energy industry. Xu Run, deputy director of the 27th Research Laboratory at Sinopec’s Petrochemical Research Institute, told reporters that hydrogen refueling stations in China rely mainly on long-truck trailers for transportation, which results in low transport capacity, high costs, long loading and unloading times, low overall energy efficiency, and safety hazards. “A 35-ton tank transport vehicle can carry only about 300 kilograms of hydrogen per trip. Due to safety considerations regarding pressure vessels, the hydrogen inside the tank cannot be completely released, so in practice only a little over 200 kilograms can be unloaded. ”Xu Run explained, “At the same time, it is necessary to build hydrogen storage facilities with sufficient capacity, which increases construction costs and land costs.” Furthermore, hydrogen is flammable and explosive, posing higher safety risks during loading and unloading. ” The methanol-on-site hydrogen production project built by Sinopec at this station provides a solution to this problem. Our country is the world’s largest methanol producer, accounting for 60% of the global methanol production capacity. Methane-based hydrogen production has low costs and low energy consumption; it is easy to store and transport, and is economical as it exists in liquid form at normal temperature and pressure. The integrated hydrogen production and refueling model within the facility significantly reduces the costs associated with intermediate transportation of hydrogen, lowers the requirements for hydrogen storage capacity, and minimizes the need for high-pressure hydrogen unloading. By taking into account all aspects of production, storage, and transportation, this approach can greatly reduce the cost of using hydrogen while enhancing inherent safety. It is reported that the distributed methanol-to-hydrogen system used in this project incorporates a number of independent innovations such as methanol reforming, catalytic oxidation, process intensification, and system integration, resulting in a hydrogen production efficiency that is among the highest in the country. The Institute of Rock Mechanics has also developed the new RSR-501 methanol reforming catalyst and CCC-101/102 catalytic oxidation catalysts, which effectively address the conflict between the grain size and stability of metal clusters in traditional catalysts, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of raw material utilization. Xu Run said that the reaction efficiency for hydrogen production in this project can be further improved, and the space required for the equipment can also be optimized further. Yang Junze, Executive Director and Party Secretary of Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales Co., Ltd., noted that the official operation of Sinopec’s on-site methanol-based hydrogen production and hydrogen refueling station demonstrates that distributed methanol hydrogen production is an effective approach for the sustainable development of hydrogen refueling stations in China. It provides a safe, reliable, green, intelligent, and efficient \"petrochemical solution\" that can contribute positively to reducing hydrogen costs and facilitating its widespread adoption. According to the Tianyancha app, Sinopec Northern Energy Company was established as a joint venture between Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales Company and Dalian Huayi Investment Holding Co., Ltd., with a 50:50 shareholding ratio. It is also reported that Sinopec Fuel Oil Company has built two integrated energy stations that combine oil, gas, hydrogen, electricity, and services in the Dalian Free Trade Zone, with another 6 such stations under construction. The Dalian Free Trade Zone has fully developed the infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage, transportation, refueling, and utilization, thereby establishing an industrial ecosystem for hydrogen energy that includes hydrogen production, manufacturing of hydrogen-related equipment, hydrogen fuel cells and their associated components, hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles, distributed hydrogen power sources, as well as research, development, and testing related to hydrogen energy technologies. The successful operation of this project will strongly boost the further development of the hydrogen energy equipment manufacturing industry in this area, and it also provides a replicable and scalable model for accelerating the establishment of a safe, stable, and efficient hydrogen energy supply network across the country. It was also reported that the Northern Hydrogen Valley Vocational Skills Training School, established under the leadership of Sinopec, was inaugurated in Dalian on February 14. Acting as a \"full-chain entity\" for the production, storage, transportation, utilization, research, and education related to the hydrogen energy industry, this school is committed to training professionals with skills in hydrogen energy technology, thereby providing strong talent support for the energy transition. The Sinopec Dalian Hydrogen Energy Equipment Industrial Park was also signed for development at the same time. In recent years, Sinopec has been committed to becoming China’s leading hydrogen energy company and driving the high-quality development of the country’s hydrogen energy industry chain. The company focuses on two main areas: hydrogen-based transportation and green hydrogen refining, and makes vigorous efforts to develop integrated hydrogen-related services. In the field of hydrogen-powered transportation, 9 hydrogen fuel cell hydrogen supply centers have been established across the country, and efforts are being made to accelerate the development of hydrogen refueling stations; the number of such stations built and in operation is the highest in the world. As for the production of green hydrogen through refining processes, China’s first demonstration project for producing green hydrogen on a scale of 10,000 tons per year was launched – the Sinopec Kuqa Green Hydrogen Demonstration Project in Xinjiang. The first domestically developed megawatt-class PEM electrolyzer for hydrogen production was successfully put into operation at Yanshan Petrochemical. In line with Sinopec’s medium- to long-term development strategy for hydrogen energy, the company aims to become the largest, most technologically advanced, and best-managed \"number one hydrogen energy company in China\". It will continue to advance the development of its hydrogen energy business by focusing on three aspects: strengthening industry development, enhancing innovation leadership, and deepening strategic partnerships.