SINOHEC has been active in structuring its hydrogen energy businesses across the country from the beginning. To date, the Company has set up a number of hydrogen fuel cell production and application research bases. SINOHEC has partnered with several local governments, such as those of Maoming, Wenzhou, Dongying, Zhoushan, and Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) to boost regional hydrogen energy development.
In July 2019, SINOMEC Hydrogen Energy Academy (Shanghai) was established in Baoshan, Shanghai. Favorably located in the Yangtze River Delta region, the institute will harness its geographical advantages to open up the upstream and downstream links of the hydrogen energy industry chain, with its comprehensive capabilities of outstanding technological research and development, manufacturing, and promotion of application. On the same day, Baoshan Hydrogen Technological Innovation Alliance was jointly established by SINOMEC and China Baowu Steel Group, under the guidance of the Baoshan District Government. More than 40 companies joined the alliance in its first batch.
In September 2017, SINOHEC established a joint hydrogen fuel cell laboratory with Tsinghua University to develop a next generation of hydrogen fuel cell stack with high-performance, long lifetime and low-cost under the leadership of Mao Zongqiang, a professor of the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology at Tsinghua University (INET) and Vice Chairman of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE). The machined graphite bipolar plate hydrogen fuel cell stack achieved power density of 2.3 kW/L by an independent acceptance test in December 2018. The data exceeded the 2020 national target, and is comparable to that from the existing metal plate counterparts in China. The Company’s proprietary metal plate stack has power density of 4.0 kW/L so far the best as we know.
In January 2019, the company’s Beijing production base commissioned and SINOHEC was officially crowned the "first hydrogen cell industry chain company in Beijing". Presently, the production base has just been put into operation and has already been capable of producing 1,000 sets of 18kW graphite bipolar plate stacks and 1,000 sets of 60kW metal bipolar plate stacks, which could produce 1500 systems with various power requirements. In the near future, SINOHEC will have annual production capacity of more than 10,000 stack systems.
In March 2019, the Maoming hydrogen energy industry hi-tech institute was officially established. Based in Maoming, the institute is committed to sustainable development and market demand, providing services throughout Guangdong and even around South China. The institute is focused on the research and development of innovative technology for hydrogen energy, thus helping the hydrogen energy industry chain to complete its “last mile” from the laboratory to the market.
In March 2019, the construction of the Maoming industry demonstration base commenced. Presently, the base has signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Maoming Municipal Government, and will participate in the demonstration operation of hydrogen energy vehicles to be used in public transportation, for municipal logistics and as shuttle buses. Scheduled to be completed in October 2019, the base will be put into operation in the first quarter of 2020. The first phase will produce 5,000 sets of hydrogen fuel cell engines, while the second and third phases will produce 20,000 and 50,000 sets, respectively.
