China Gets the “Largest” Solar Powered Green Hydrogen Project in the World

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), the $490 billion oil major announced the start of production at a Green Hydrogen Pilot Project (“Project”) constructed by the company in Kuqa City of Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The project aims to produce green hydrogen using solar power instead of natural-gas-based hydrogen at Sinopec’s refinery in Xinjiang. As China’s first green hydrogen demonstration project with a capacity exceeding 10,000 tonnes, it is expected to generate 20,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, supplying it to Sinopec’s Tahe refinery.

The project, led by Sinopec’s New Star Company, easily qualifies to be the world’s largest solar-to-hydrogen initiative and the first of its kind in China. It incorporates a photovoltaic power generation complex, power transmission and transformation lines, as well as facilities for water electrolysis hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and transportation, and supporting auxiliary production.

Leveraging the abundant photovoltaic resources in Kuqa, the project utilizes solar power to electrolyze water, producing 20,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. It also encompasses hydrogen storage with a capacity of 210,000 cubic meters and transportation capabilities of 28,000 cubic meters per hour.

The project is expected to pave the way for green hydrogen refining and in China. Replacing the ‘grey’ hydrogen supplied to Sinopec’s Tahe Refining & Chemical based on fossil fuel electricity would result in an estimated annual reduction of 485,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

With an annual capacity surpassing 4.5 million tons for hydrogen production and utilization, Sinopec’s plans matter significantly in China’s plans for green hydrogen production.

Sinopec Tahe is the sole petrochemical enterprise of Sinopec Group in the Xinjiang region. It primarily processes heavy crude oil from the Tahe oilfield, operating 12 refining units with an annual capacity of 5 million tonnes, as well as storage and transportation facilities. The site also provides utilities such as water, electricity, and steam, along with a distributed control system (DCS) for process control.