Sinopec’s green hydrogen pilot project in Xinjiang is operational

The Green Hydrogen Pilot Project of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has become operational. The official operation of the pilot plant located in Kuqa City, Aksu Prefecture harnesses solar energy to generate green hydrogen.

The pilot project is a major step in Sinopec’s move to produce clean hydrogen as it transitions to a greener and more sustainable energy system.

Spearheaded by Sinopec’s New Star Company, the mega project is the largest solar-to-hydrogen project in the world and the first of its kind in China. It is equipped with 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.

Green hydrogen is produced by facilities powered by renewable power sources such as solar and wind energy, minimising the carbon footprint across the entire production process. The project takes advantage of the wealth of photovoltaic resources in Kuqa to achieve 20,000 tons per annum of green hydrogen by using solar power to electrolyze water, along with the capacity to store 210,000 cubic meters of hydrogen and transport 28,000 cubic meters per hour.

As a demonstration project that serves to carve out a new path for green hydrogen production in China, the plant supplies hydrogen to Sinopec’s Tahe Refining & Chemical to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity for hydrogen production. The move is expected to help it reduce 485,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

With a focus on hydrogen-powered transportation and green hydrogen refining, Sinopec aims to launch itself to become a new energy powerhouse that pioneers hydrogen production innovation in China.