China Builds World’s Largest Closed-Loop Hydrogen Energy System

China has begun constructing a 30 MW fully hydrogen-powered turbine in the Ordos high-tech industrial development zone. This project is a world first because it integrates wind, solar, hydrogen storage, electrolysis, and green ammonia production into a single closed-loop energy system. While other companies like Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Siemens have developed 100% hydrogen turbines, this is the first large-scale project to directly integrate one with on-site renewable energy and storage.

A Closed-Loop Hydrogen Energy System

The core of this ambitious project is the creation of a “electricity–hydrogen–electricity” closed-loop system. Here’s how it works:

1. Renewable energy generation: The system will have a 500 MW wind farm and a 5 MW solar facility.
2. Hydrogen production: A 240 MW electrolyzer will use this renewable electricity to produce approximately 4.3 tons of hydrogen per hour.
3. Storage: The hydrogen will be stored in twelve large spherical tanks, each with a capacity of 1,875 cubic meters.
4. Power generation: The stored hydrogen will fuel the 30 MW turbine to generate electricity when renewable energy production is low.
5. Green ammonia production: The facility will also produce 150,000 tons of green ammonia annually.

This closed-loop design aims to prove the viability of large-scale hydrogen-powered electricity generation and improve grid stability by minimizing supply disruptions.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite the promising goals, some experts have raised concerns about the system’s energy efficiency. The multi-step process of converting electricity to hydrogen and then back to electricity can lead to significant energy losses during electrolysis, storage, and combustion. These losses could potentially result in higher energy costs.

Nevertheless, this project, developed by Mingyang Hydrogen and Shenzhen Energy, represents a major leap forward. It serves as a real-world test case for combining different renewable technologies and proving that a 100% hydrogen-fueled power plant can be a practical solution for a sustainable energy future.

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