China's first marine hydroammonia integration project was completed in Yantai, Shandong Province, and officially entered the commissioning stage, laying the foundation for the project to be put into operation and the empirical test of the whole process of offshore hydrogen production.

The ocean is the largest hydrogen mine on the earth, and making full use of the hydrogen in the sea is one of the important directions for the development of hydrogen energy in the future. In China's coastal areas and sea areas, new energy sources such as wind energy and solar energy and seawater resources are abundant, and it has the resource advantage of producing green hydrogen with green electricity. The direct electrolysis of seawater to produce hydrogen can be described as killing two birds with one stone, which can not only reduce the energy consumption in the process of seawater desalination, but also alleviate the contradiction between the rapid growth of offshore new energy and the slow construction of power grids, effectively improve the utilization rate of wind and solar, and establish a new economic model of "offshore new energy + electrolysis hydrogen production + hydrogen-based chemical industry".

According to Liu Wei, Secretary-General of the China Hydrogen Energy Alliance, Director of the Hydrogen Energy Division of the National Energy Group, and General Manager of Guohua Investment (Hydrogen Energy Company), marine hydrogen energy is a strategic proposition related to the integration of the energy revolution and the construction of a maritime power, and is also an important part of the global hydrogen energy supply system, which will become a breakthrough point for the large-scale development of deep-sea wind power in the future.

"Converting wind and solar resources into green hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels on the spot can solve the problem of deep-sea renewable energy consumption, extend the value chain to hydrogen-based green fuels, strongly support the construction of global green shipping corridors, and become a strategic starting point for ensuring national energy security and promoting international trade in hydrogen-based fuels, promoting the development of international hydrogen energy trade, and helping marine hydrogen energy achieve zero-carbon commercial applications." Liu Wei said.

According to Liu Congmin, general manager of National Energy Group National Energy Hydrogen Innovation Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., China's first marine hydrogen ammonia integration project is jointly built by National Energy Group Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Yantai CIMC Raffles City Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. and National Energy Hydrogen Innovation Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., and it is also the first demonstration project of the whole chain of marine hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation and use in China.

The reporter learned that the biggest feature of the offshore hydrogen production platform supporting China's first marine hydroammonia integration project is that it can be separated from the onshore power grid, and completely self-sufficient production of hydrogen, methanol and ammonia without the need for external energy supply, which is China's first semi-submersible offshore hydrogen production platform.

Photovoltaic panels are installed on more than half of the offshore hydrogen production platform, including the outside of the railing. On the sea surface around the platform, floating offshore photovoltaic modules are also specially equipped to produce green hydrogen with clean energy converted from solar energy.

"Green hydrogen produced off-grid from offshore new energy can be further converted into easy-to-store ammonia and methanol, which are not only clean fuels for ships, but also important industrial raw materials, which can be widely used in chemical production and energy fields." Liu Congmin said.

It is understood that there are three major scenarios of marine hydrogen energy, namely, the near-shore "half-sea and half-land" sea-wind land-based system to help industrial decarbonization, the offshore "all-sea" offshore hydroammonia integrated energy hub, and the "zero-carbon island" marine hydrogen energy integrated energy supply solution. With the implementation of the industry vision, the promotion of demonstration projects and the deep integration of the industrial chain, the scientific and technological battle of "strengthening the sea" has begun, and the journey of "hydrogen to the deep sea" will officially begin.

Talking about the "three-step" strategy of marine hydrogen energy of China Energy Group, Liu Wei said that the first phase has completed a hydrogen production/ammonia/alcohol project around the offshore floating photovoltaic fixed platform in Yantai, Shandong Province, to open up the whole technology chain with offshore electric hydrogen alcohol testing, and to create a demonstration project for the whole chain of marine hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation and use, as well as offshore new energy hydrogen production and comprehensive utilization; The second phase plans to build a 100-ton hydrogen production project in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, with a semi-submersible megawatt-level hydrogen production project in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, to break through the key technologies of offshore renewable energy platforms, realize megawatt-level long-term application demonstrations, and build an offshore integrated energy platform and offshore benchmark project; The third phase plans to plan by 2030, the South China Sea deep-sea offshore wind power floating 1000-ton green hydrogen-based fuel project, realize the mass production of green fuel, and explore the path of marine hydrogen energy industrialization.

In the future, marine hydrogen energy is expected to realize the vision of an offshore energy hub, and it is recommended to promote the development of the industry from the dimensions of technology, equipment, regulations and industrial policies, actively build an ocean hydrogen-based energy network, and promote the establishment of a global marine hydrogen legal framework and international conventions.(This article is from the official website of Seetao www.seetao.com. Reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited. Please indicate Seetao.com + original link when reprinting) Seetao.com Strategy Column Editor/Sun Fengjuan