Seeking "quality" from "new" on the hydrogen energy track

--China Southern Power Grid promotes the synergy of electricity and hydrogen to accelerate the development of new productive forces

In Xianhu Hydrogen Valley, Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, where China's fuel cell industry gathers, Xianhu Laboratory, the country's first provincial-level key laboratory focusing on hydrogen energy research, is taking the lead in the development of hydrogen-ammonia fusion new energy technologies. Due to the continuous presence of upstream and downstream enterprises in the hydrogen energy industry chain and the continuous expansion of scientific research bases, Xianhu Hydrogen Valley consumes 4.09 million kilowatt hours a year.

The Xiaohu Island Electric Hydrogen Smart Energy Station in Nansha, Guangzhou, 90 kilometers away, is densely covered with pipe networks, water storage tanks and gas tanks, and various pressure gauges, forming a simple and clean industrial beauty. A year ago, China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. realized grid-connected solid-state hydrogen energy power generation here for the first time. Green electricity and green hydrogen were flexibly converted, marking that the application of hydrogen energy in the power system has entered a new stage.

Since the "double carbon" goal was put forward, the hydrogen energy industry has been given a new historical mission. In the future, it will help achieve deep decarbonization in key areas such as industry, transportation, construction and power generation sectors, and become a key "assistant" for non-fossil energy to effectively replace fossil energy. In addition to providing efficient power supply services, China Southern Power Grid takes scientific and technological innovation as the starting point, continues to explore and develop advanced and efficient electrolytic hydrogen production, high-safety hydrogen storage, diversified applications of hydrogen energy, etc., opens up new directions for collaborative research and development of electricity and hydrogen, and drives upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to coordinate development and seek "quality" from "new" on the hydrogen energy track.

Carry out research and development layout of electric-hydrogen collaborative technology

At the country's first electric hydrogen smart energy station-Xiaohu Island Electric Hydrogen Smart Energy Station, a hydrogen energy emergency power supply truck slowly stopped next to the hydrogen refueling machine for hydrogen charging operations. This is the first hydrogen energy emergency power supply vehicle in China based on solid hydrogen storage technology developed by China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Guangzhou Power Supply Bureau.

"Hydrogen energy emergency power supply vehicles are environmentally friendly, long power supply time, and fast response speed. They can provide services such as emergency power supply and uninterrupted maintenance." Huang Xurui, a technical expert on the electricity and hydrogen collaborative technology research team of the Guangzhou Power Supply Bureau, said that the maximum rated power generation power of hydrogen energy emergency power vehicles can reach 200 kilowatts. During operation, only water is emitted, achieving 100% green and low-carbon energy use. It has been successfully carried out. Many on-site power supply operations have been carried out. In addition, after the application of solid-state hydrogen storage technology, the hydrogen storage pressure of the hydrogen energy emergency power supply vehicle is only 3 MPa, which is one-tenth of that of the hydrogen energy emergency power supply vehicle with high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage, and its safety has been greatly improved.

Hydrogen energy emergency power generation not only provides users with flexible and mobile green power services, but is also another practical exploration of China Southern Power Grid's scientific and technological innovation in the field of electricity-hydrogen collaboration.

The collaborative interaction between electricity and hydrogen is a new path to build a new power system and assist in the construction of a new energy system. When there is a lot of new energy power generation, it can be converted into hydrogen through "electric-hydrogen" conversion and stored; when new energy power generation is insufficient, electricity can be supplied through "hydrogen-electricity" conversion. Both electrolyzers and fuel cells have the characteristics of short start-up time, fast adjustment rate and wide adjustment range, and are a good flexible adjustment resource for the power grid.

Focusing on the application of hydrogen energy in the field of energy and power, in recent years, China Southern Power Grid has established a hydrogen energy research center to carry out technical research, demonstration project construction, and innovation platform construction in the field of electricity-hydrogen collaboration. A series of scientific research results have not only improved the efficiency of hydrogen production through electrolysis., also laid the foundation for the large-scale application of hydrogen energy.

Today, relying on national key R & D projects, the Hydrogen Energy Research Center is facing users 'comprehensive needs for hydrogen, electricity, and heat and peak shaving of the power grid, and carrying out technology R & D layout and industrial applications, so that it can not only actively support the power grid upward, but also connect users downward, realize hydrogen heat and power cogeneration, and meet users' diversified energy needs. "We hope that this research results and innovative application scenarios can improve the flexible adjustment capabilities of ultra-large urban power grids, accelerate the construction of new power systems covering 'electricity-hydrogen' interactions, and adapt to the access and consumption of new energy in the future. As well as the supply of green hydrogen, provide a 'Southern Grid solution'." Pan Jun, deputy general manager of the Hydrogen Energy Research Center, said.

Strengthen the alliance between industry, university and research of electricity and hydrogen

Recently, the Development and Reform Commission of Guangdong Province and other departments issued the "Opinions of Guangdong Province on Accelerating the Innovative Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry", proposing to "vigorously develop electrolyzed water to hydrogen production","actively carry out demonstration applications in the field of energy storage" and "expand demonstration applications of hydrogen energy in the field of power generation."

At present, the overall development level of the hydrogen energy industry in Guangdong Province is in a leading position in the country. China Southern Power Grid has helped Guangdong Province accelerate the innovative development of the hydrogen energy industry and integrate and serve Guangdong's high-quality development from aspects such as developing electrolyzed water to produce hydrogen, exploring the integrated application of renewable energy power generation and hydrogen energy storage, and ensuring power supply for key hydrogen energy industries.

Hydrogen production technology by electrolysis of water continues to make breakthroughs. The national key R & D plan project of "Solid Oxide Electrolysis Water Steam Hydrogen Production System and Electrolyte Technology" led by China Southern Power Grid plans to overcome the complete set of high-power, high-efficiency, and long-life solid oxide electrolytic cell hydrogen production (SOEC) technologies and narrow the gap between domestic SOEC technology and equipment and foreign countries in terms of power, life, and integration, laying a solid foundation for the development of the hydrogen energy industry. At present, the Hydrogen Energy Research Center has become an influential scientific research unit in the field of solid oxide batteries (SOC), especially in SOC modules, system integration and control, and relevant research and demonstrations have been recognized by peers in the SOC field.

Actively explore application models that combine renewable energy power generation with hydrogen energy storage. The Xiaohu Island Electric Hydrogen Smart Energy Station built by China Southern Power Grid couples photovoltaic power generation, electrolyzed water hydrogen production, solid-state hydrogen storage, fuel cells, and combines elements such as hydrogenation and hydrogen unloading. It has grid peak cutting and valley filling, energy storage and power generation, emergency backup, external hydrogen supply and other functions, realizing solid-state hydrogen energy grid-connected power generation for the first time in China, providing a "Southern Power Grid Model" for the integrated application of renewable energy power generation and hydrogen energy storage.

Strengthen the alliance of industry, academia and application to promote high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry. China Southern Power Grid continues to expand its scientific research "circle of friends", establish long-term cooperative relationships with many top scientific research universities, research institutions and companies at home and abroad, and explore and build a number of industrial innovation R & D centers around hydrogen energy and other fields. In 2023, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Power Grid Co., Ltd. will join forces with universities, research institutions and leading enterprises to jointly establish the "National Energy, Electricity and Hydrogen Collaborative Low-Carbon Technology Research and Development Center", focusing on efficient electrolytic hydrogen production, high-safety hydrogen storage, and flexible electricity and hydrogen conversion and other "stuck neck" issues such as comprehensive utilization of hydrogen energy, and carry out core technology research, benchmark demonstration project construction, and the formulation of electricity and hydrogen collaborative standards. In addition, China Southern Power Grid needs to build a new power system with the collaborative support of electricity and hydrogen, driving the common development of upstream and downstream related enterprises in the hydrogen energy industry chain.

Achieving hydrogen energy is "popular and popular"

In March 2023, the hydrogen energy storage comprehensive application demonstration project led by China Southern Power Grid Yunnan Power Grid Co., Ltd. was completed and put into operation, realizing the application of low-voltage solid alloy hydrogen storage technology in the power grid for the first time in China. "Let hydrogen store energy at low pressure and room temperature. Even if the electricity generated by the photovoltaic fluctuates, it will not impact the power grid. This is the significance of our demonstration project." Zheng Xin, head of the hydrogen energy storage project of Yunnan Electric Power Research Institute, introduced.

Zheng Xin believes that the most important form of utilization of renewable energy is power generation, so the combination of hydrogen energy and renewable energy must be achieved through the power grid and electricity. In the process of integration, renewable energy is converted into hydrogen through electrolyzed water, and electrolyzed water must be able to coordinate and interact with the power grid and renewable energy. To achieve effective interaction between electricity and hydrogen, the key is to reduce the cost of hydrogen production, safe and reliable hydrogen storage, and comprehensive utilization of hydrogen energy.

How to reduce the cost of hydrogen energy in terms of production, transportation and hydrogenation, so that hydrogen energy can be "applauded and popular"? District Dingrong, technical director of the Hydrogen Energy Research Center, said that as far as the current stage of hydrogen energy development is concerned, it is necessary to develop advanced hydrogen production technologies through continuous technological innovation to improve hydrogen production efficiency and reduce costs. Strengthen infrastructure construction, build distributed hydrogen production and refueling stations, reduce long-distance transportation of hydrogen, and reduce transportation costs. Large-scale application of hydrogen energy terminals, batch production of equipment, and leveraging large-scale economic benefits are all effective ways to reduce costs.

"At present, we have targeted the subdivision direction, strengthened research on stuck neck technology, and vigorously promoted the substitution of key components manufactured in China. At the same time, we will strengthen research on business models, continue to dig deep into the core demand scenarios of power grid companies, promote industrial incubation around product equipment, testing services, investment and operations, and accelerate the development of new productivity." Pan Jun said.

author:Huang Yaxi and Li Jie

edit:Kong Kexing

proofreading:Han Yuxi