Construction has begun on a giant $1.5bn green hydrogen project in China that includes a 200MW H2-fired power station for grid back-up and six hydrogen filling stations that will fuel 600 trucks.
The snappily titled Grove Mulei Hydrogen Energy Storage Peak Shaving Power Station and Integrated Wind, Solar, Hydrogen, and Vehicle Storage Project — being built by Chinese hydrogen-vehicle maker Grove Hydrogen Energy Technology Group in Mulei County, Xinjiang — will use an unspecified amount of wind and solar power to produce about 40,000 tonnes of green H2 annually.
While the exact capacity of the electrolysers has not been revealed — as is common practice in China — around 400MW would be required to produce that amount of green hydrogen.
The H2 will be stored on-site and used to power the 200MW/1,600MWh peaker plant — which will provide back-up power to Xinjiang’s renewables-rich electricity grid at times when the wind and sun cannot provide enough electricity to meet demand. The 1,600MWh figure means the plant has the ability to output 200MW of power for eight hours straight.
“The commencement of this project is of great significance and value,” said Grove chairman Hao Yiguo. “It is currently the largest single-planned hydrogen energy storage project both domestically and internationally.
“Once completed and operational, the project will produce 40,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually, 320,000 tonnes of industrial oxygen, and 51.6 million tonnes of high-temperature water, generating excellent economic returns every year.
“I believe that as this project progresses, it will also transform Mulei into a leading hub for the hydrogen energy storage industry, both domestically and globally.”
Grove has not stated if the wind and solar power for the project will come from new or existing facilities, but Xinjiang is notorious for producing more renewable energy than its grid can handle, with curtailment rates of up to 29% in recent years. So it is likely that the project will use existing green energy to produce H2.
“Mulei has boundless wind and solar resources, and the energy storage market here is enormous,” said Grove chairman Hao Yiguo.
The filling stations will have a daily capacity of five tonnes of hydrogen, which will be used to operate 600 heavy-duty trucks, according to Grove,
Grove makes its own 49-tonne hydrogen-powered trucks with a 500km range through its Zhongji brand, as well as an H2-powered sports car with a 1,200km range.
