CHINA H2 PILOT CONFERENCE 26th NOVEMBER

GREEN POWER GLOBAL CHINESE BRIEFING FROM SHENZEN - HYDROGEN CONFERENCE ONLINE 26TH NOVEMBER 2021

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Hydrogen is not just for transport. It can be used in steel making, for heating homes, for land vehicles and ships. The lack of a suitable infrastructure is a limiter on incentivising automotive OEMs and shipbuilders to engage more positively. 

Imagine a means to store electricity as green hydrogen for load levelling of national grids, while also supplying energy for commercial vans and heavy duty trucks. Fuel cells provide a way to convert hydrogen gas into electricity, but on their own they do not represent a solution.  Gasometers are a thing of the past. One way forward is with a SmartNet™, a dual-fuel infrastructure type of system. At the moment just a conceptual model. But that should not stop anyone from developing their own version of such a system - we would hope, adopting a "Universal" standard, such that Chinese vehicles and service facilities are compatible with anything developed in Europe, the USA and Russia.

Friday 26 November, 12:00 - 14:00 CET

Presented live as an installment of the 'China Hydrogen Intelligence service,' this was a 2 hour, analyst presentation and interactive Q&A session covering the key market sectors, direct from Shenzhen!

This was a very informative presentation, by an incredibly well informed, Hack Heyward, and an eye opener to those who may have thought that China is only interested in coal fired electricity generating stations. As always, we are advocates of yellow and green hydrogen. Rather than gasification of coal, where China has the capacity to implement wind and solar farms as a sustainable long term solution - in the creation of a circular economy - so freeing themselves of Australian imports as their industrial energy feed stock. Indeed, most solar panels being sold around the world in 2021, were Chinese, it makes sense then to use this home grown technology to reinforce the foundations of their society.

China also produce wind turbines, but they are heavy compared to European makes.

Hydrogen has the potential to become one of the global economy’s largest commodities, with most industrialized nations competing in a race to bring the price of production of renewable hydrogen down, such as to compete with coal and oil derived fossil fuels. 

China is perceived as the largest global market and in December 2020 announced a target of decarbonising 25% of the entire energy system by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2060. So what happens in China can have a dramatic impact on the growth of hydrogen, due to the potential to move hydrogen technologies faster down their cost and learning curve.

If China cracks the economics of hydrogen to be able to provide cheap energy for transport and industry, they can contribute to a world circular economy, newly clean of carbon dioxide, and develop sustainable policies to be proud of.

The whole world is competing to lead in such Utopian ideal, each developing policies designed to accelerate progress, with different degrees of success. Europe is potentially leading in electrolyzer production with their FCH-JU and follow on initiatives, but is backward in hydrogen infrastructure for EVs, also aiming to develop their own battery supply chain, but again weak on charging infrastructure.

In the USA, only California is making significant headway on the hydrogen infrastructure front. With Japan supplying many FCEV's as cars. Japan leads the world in hydrogen fill up stations, but not load leveling ready (smart) versions.

China is operating a Pilot Cities Cluster program, where cities and developers work as groups to implement a change to hydrogen, having re-classified hydrogen as a dangerous gas, to a fuel. See screen shots of the presentation herein - with big thanks to Green Power Global for hosting this event.

The objective being to develop vehicles with suitable ranges, to oust petrol and diesel. Given that China already operates many battery electric taxis and buses (BEVs). But there is a (proposed) National Plan from 2020, that as yet has not overcome a number of obstacles, one of which is the perennial lack of policy support, to encourage large energy firms to engage with more gusto. 

In December 2020 China announced a target of decarbonising 25% of their entire energy system by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2060. So what happens in China can have a dramatic impact on the growth of hydrogen, due to the potential to move hydrogen technologies faster down their cost and learning curve.

WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND TO HYDROGEN IN CHINA ?

Fuel cell technology in China - as in most countries - began in the aerospace industry. However, commercialization of fuel cells in China started later. Fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) in China began appearing on roads in 2016 and have increased at a fast rate. China's post-COVID19 recovery plan as well as the upcoming five-year plan are expected to include policies promoting fuel cell technology. 

In the past year China has made significant strides in promoting hydrogen energy: first, preliminary approval was given for high-pressure cylinders (HPC) at 70 MPa for use in commercial vehicles; second, hydrogen gas was reclassified as a "clean energy fuel," thus paving the way towards hydrogen refuelling station permitting; third, China released a comprehensive, points-based incentive system to encourage hydrogen energy city clusters. 

Unlike in most countries, industrial policy often has an unusually immediate and powerful effect on markets in China. The logistics industry in the Pearl River Delta connecting the cities of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou in a web of well-maintained highways, high-speed trains, and deep waterways is one of the busiest in the world. 

The inland port city of Wuhan - made (in)famous by COVID19 - lies both at the juncture of nine provinces as well as at the halfway point on the Yangzi River, one of the world's busiest waterways. These two regions are examples of opportunities for fuel cell technology to be applied not only in the FCEV industry but also in the shipping, materials handling, and stationary power systems. Indeed, these two regions feature prominently in the recently-released pilot cities program.

Unlike other countries, industrial policy often has an unusually immediate and powerful effect on markets in China. The logistics industry in the Pearl River Delta connecting the cities of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou in a web of well-maintained highways, high-speed trains, and deep waterways is one of the busiest in the world. 

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRUST INPUT 26 NOV 2021

Nelson Kay, attended this online conference as a delegate for the Trust, also taking notes for the Cleaner Ocean Foundation, sharing information using the 'Chat' function in Zoom live as per the items below, responding to the speakers comments.

Nelson Kay to Everyone: 12:03 PM
"Hello everyone, It is good to see that China is seeking to develop hydrogen as a transport fuel. We would like to see green hydrogen incorporated in EV service stations, as flatpacks. The idea being to build up low cost infrastructure. We call this a SmartNet. The problem being that policies do not favour SMEs such as ourselves from getting involved in anything other than conceptual and intellectual property supply. Great briefing! We hope the Pilot scheme develops well, leading to general implementation. Not just in China, but internationally."

12:38 PM
"It may help China if there was an agreed international standard for supply on green H2, to break reliance on coal - but rather increase electricity supply from managed load levelling, that can only really be achieved with smart systems. Might China like to explore the potential for international agreement? If so, Cleaner Ocean Foundation could help with lobbying other G20 nations to formulate an acceptable standard, for FCEVs and electricity load levelling."

12:45 PM
Cleaner Ocean Foundation has designed a hydrogen powered ship (Elizabeth Swann), to set a record around the world in under 80 days. The biggest problem is not the trimaran design, but the lack of hydrogen bunkering at ports of call. We'd need to lay on portable supplies for such an event. But, if there was a standard facility as needed for FCEVs, there could be one in each port, supplying trucks and ships. We live in hope.

Steven Lua to Everyone: 12:50 PM
Hi Nelson - We have actually been in touch with them. We recently unveiled the world's first liquid hydrogen bunkering facility at the UN COP26 conference the other week:

https://www.unitrove.com/media/press-release/2021/11/05/unitrove-unveils-world's-first-liquid-hydrogen-bunkering-facility

Nelson Kay to Everyone: 12:03 PM 
Thanks for the heads up Steven : ) Wonder about any progress? Perhaps catch up when dust has settled from this (very useful) event.

Steven Lua to Everyone: 12:56 PM
We can be ready to go from the infrastructure side!

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HENRIETTA - thinks she may have something to chirp about. She thinks she may have cracked the 'chicken and egg' conundrum that as of 2021 is stopping more people enjoying zero emission transport. If you are looking for a risk reduced business model, Henrietta's proposal is well worth a look.

There were some 8 million deaths globally in 2018 from lung cancer caused by air pollution. It is worse than Covid19 at 5,078,234 so far in two years (@ November 2021). Thus air pollution from diesel and petrol vehicle exhausts is 3 times more dangerous than Covid19.

Fuel cells provide a way to convert hydrogen gas into electricity, but on their own they do not represent a solution. They are though, an essential ingredient of the mix, if policy makers are to get their heads around hydrogen gas and electrical energy being one and the same thing, instead of funding calls for one or the other. Nobody in their right mind is going to apply for funding if the calls are not on point. So far, the UK and EU have been very wide of the mark.

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