The first methanol-to-hydrogen and hydrogen service station in China was formally inaugurated by China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) in Dalian, China.
The upgraded station’s integrated complex can create 1,000 kilos of hydrogen per day with a purity of 99.999 percent. It offers oil, gas, hydrogen, and electricity charging services.
The Sinopec hydrogen manufacturing facility offers the benefits of requiring little space, taking little time to build, and using an eco-friendly production method. In comparison to conventional hydrogen fueling stations, the new service station may save more than 20% on the costs of hydrogen production, storage, and transportation. It will also serve as a model for the development of China’s hydrogen industry.
China generates 60% of the world’s methanol production, making it the largest producer. Methanol-hydrogen is a great method for producing hydrogen since it is more cheaper to store and transport than hydrogen.
The obstacles of inadequate transport capacity, high costs, and lengthy loading times were overcome by Sinopec’s solution. The station’s methanol-to-hydrogen and hydrogen refueling facility also has an hourly production capacity of 500 standard cubic meters while taking up only 64 square meters of floor space, as opposed to conventional facilities that would need 500 square meters of floor space to have the same production capacity.
Six further integrated gas stations are being built by Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales, and two have already been built in the Dalian Free Trade Zone. Sinopec’s solution is sustainable and environmentally friendly—producing no solid waste, no wastewater, and no exhaust emissions while using more energy efficiently and using less methanol—thanks to industry-leading hydrogen production efficiency, automation, and smart capabilities.