In the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Area, China Petroleum & Chemical Company launched the Inner Mongolia Erdos Wind-Solar Green Hydrogen Project, its first hydrogen demonstration project.
The project aims to directly produce 30,000 tons of green hydrogen and 240,000 tons of green oxygen per year, which will be used for the carbon reduction initiatives of the nearby ZTHC Energy intensive coal processing pilot project in Erdos. The project will make use of the abundant solar and wind energy resources in the Erdos region.
Following its green hydrogen pilot project in Kuqa Xinjiang in 2021, Sinopec’s Project—the largest in the green hydrogen coal-chemical field—will further increase China’s and the world’s capacity for producing green hydrogen, support the growth of the green hydrogen industry chain, and advance China’s green energy goals.
The project’s scope includes producing electricity using wind and solar energy, transforming that electricity, producing hydrogen through water electrolysis, and transporting and storing that hydrogen. The capacity of installed wind and solar power plants to generate electricity will be 450 megawatts and 270 megawatts, respectively. The capacity of water electrolysis to produce hydrogen will be 30,000 tons per year, and the capacity of installed hydrogen storage will be 288,000 standard cubic meters.
The project is expected to cut carbon emissions by 1.43 million tons yearly with an investment of 5.7 billion yuan (USD 828.04 million), as well as contribute 600 million yuan (USD 87.17 million) in GDP and 30 million yuan (USD 4.36 million) in tax revenue.
According to Sinopec Chairman Ma Yongsheng, “The Project is of great significance to ensuring China’s energy security, constructing new energy systems, and advancing green energy and low-carbon development in Inner Mongolia, all of which will contribute to a new, high-quality development roadmap that places an emphasis on ecological conservation and green development.”