2022 is regarded as the first fuel cell vehicle demonstration application year in the industry, and the construction of hydrogen energy demonstration urban agglomeration has started a new wave of competition. Following Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, Hebei and Henan urban agglomerations were approved to carry out fuel cell vehicle demonstration applications at the end of last year. As a result, the fuel cell vehicle demonstration and application city cluster has formed a cross regional vertical and horizontal connection. With the continuous increase of policies and the successive landing of key projects, the signal of active development of hydrogen energy industry has been released
From the perspective of meso industry, although the development of China’s hydrogen energy industry is beginning to take shape, there are still many bottlenecks, such as the lack of autonomy of key materials and core technologies, the lack of infrastructure construction, and the establishment of commercial promotion mode. How to solve many constraints is still an important issue in front of many floors.
facing the east wind of the first large-scale use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in China for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, a reporter from the Securities Times recently came to Zhangjiakou for investigation. It was found that as the only national demonstration area of renewable energy in China, transportation has become the first landing scene of hydrogen energy utilization in Zhangjiakou, and the radius has been continuously extended around the center of the circle of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, The prototype of the whole industrial chain layout has begun to take shape
Zhangjiakou’s “hydrogen” dance is flying, which can be regarded as a pathfinder sample of the national hydrogen energy industry chain. However, in this process, it still faces the constraints of different dimensions such as economy, technological progress and business model. Whether these constraints can be further solved in the future and form a joint force effect will become the key factor for the local hydrogen energy industry to a higher level.
agglomeration effect under the layout of the whole industrial chain
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is the first large-scale use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in China and the largest demonstration operation of fuel cell vehicles in the world. More than 1000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have also become the main service vehicles for the event, showing the world China’s advanced achievements in the field of new energy utilization. As the main operation area of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, it is Zhangjiakou competition area.
Zhangjiakou, a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Hebei Province, is a transportation hub connecting Beijing and Tianjin and connecting Shanxi and Mongolia. Zhangku Avenue, which is comparable to the Silk Road, began here, and the Beijing Zhangjiakou Railway, the first railway designed and built by the Chinese people, was also born here. The transition zone between Bashang and Xiaba, represented by Chongli and Chicheng, has a snow storage period of more than 150 days. “Cold resources” has become a unique feature here.
Yin Xuguang, director of the high technology department of Zhangjiakou development and Reform Commission, told the securities times that a total of 710 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have been put into use in Zhangjiakou competition area, including 623 in Chongli District, including 357 hydrogen fuel cell buses operating in Zhangjiakou, 140 Toyota second-generation Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and 107 Toyota Kodak hydrogen engine Zhongba, These vehicles mainly undertake transportation support tasks such as convenient connection and athlete service. In addition, it also includes 87 hydrogen fuel buses for public travel in the main urban area.
“Since 2018, a total of 444 hydrogen buses have been licensed in Zhangjiakou. By the end of 2021, the city’s hydrogen buses have carried more than 62 million passengers and operated more than 21 million kilometers. It is one of the cities with the largest and most stable number of fuel cell vehicles in China.” Yin Xuguang told reporters.
What is the level of this data? According to the data of China Automobile Industry Association, the national production and sales data of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in 2021 were 1777 and 1586 respectively, with a year-on-year increase of 48.2% and 34.7%. Judging from the hydrogen bus routes opened by fuel cell vehicles in Beijing, Zhengzhou and other places, the cumulative number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in China exceeds 7000.
According to the reporter’s investigation, the two major technical routes of hydrogen fuel cell and lithium power battery are developing rapidly under the goal of “double carbon”, but they can achieve different effects.
All the hydrogen fuel cell engine systems currently used by the hydrogen energy buses serving in the Zhangjiakou competition area of the Winter Olympic Games are from the science and Technology Innovation Board Company Beijing Sinohytec Co.Ltd(688339) . Yu Min, executive deputy general manager of the company, told the securities times that the hydrogen bus launched in Zhangjiakou has a special feature. Through the engine heat energy comprehensive management technology, the excess heat energy during engine operation is transformed into the heating energy of the passenger compartment, so as to reduce the necessity of turning on the air conditioner in cold conditions, so as to realize that when carrying the same amount of hydrogen, On the contrary, the mileage in winter may be longer than that in summer.
this has laid the technical foundation for the bus to become the first scene for the application of hydrogen energy in the transportation field. In Zhangjiakou, in addition to buses, including logistics vehicles, have become an important carrier for hydrogen energy application here
In the middle of last year, relevant persons in charge of Zhangjiakou Xiahuayuan district Party committee and district government specially attended the handover ceremony of hydrogen energy logistics express vehicle between hydrogen Automotive Technology (Zhangjiakou) Co., Ltd. and Zhangjiakou Xiahuayuan District postal branch. This is China’s first hydrogen energy logistics express vehicle, which is independently developed by hydrogen Austria automobile and has independent intellectual property rights. At present, Zhangjiakou has more than 40 hydrogen energy logistics vehicles in operation.
The development of hydrogen fuel vehicles is not isolated. The development model adopted by Zhangjiakou is the whole industry chain layout.
Beijing Sinohytec Co.Ltd(688339) on the occasion of landing on the sci-tech innovation board in 2019, the second phase of the fuel cell production base is settled in Zhangjiakou. At present, the project with an annual output of 10000 fuel cell engines has been completed. According to Yu Min, the new generation hydrogen fuel cell system has core independent intellectual property rights, and most of its parts have been localized, which can not only effectively reduce the use cost, but also optimize and upgrade according to China’s environment, road conditions and other factors. Taking the air compressor as an example, the previously imported price of the part was as high as 200000 yuan. After being made in China by Hebei Kingston technology company, the price was controlled at about 20000 yuan and maintained stable operation in the assembled vehicle.
In addition, in terms of core parts, projects such as the annual output of 4000 sets of air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell stack production line of Zhangjiakou Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. are also advancing steadily, and projects such as Jutong technology 150MW fuel cell stack project and test workshop have also been constructed. Including the commissioning of Beiqi Futian OUHUI hydrogen bus project, Zhangjiakou Yilong intelligent hydrogen commercial vehicle industry base project and complete vehicle manufacturing projects such as hydrogen Austria automobile, Zhangjiakou is committed to building a number of internationally renowned enterprises in the hydrogen energy industry.
While the layout of the downstream of the industrial chain is accelerating, the construction of the midstream is also accelerating at the same time. One of the characteristics is that the construction of Zhangjiakou hydrogenation station has initially taken shape reporters visited the camp and saw that at least 9 hydrogenation stations have been built here, including chuangba station, Weisan Road station, Dongwangshan station, Prince Edward city station and Prince Edward City skid mounted station, Chongli south station and Chongli South skid mounted station, Chongli north station and Xishan industrial park, of which 8 have been officially put into use with a hydrogenation capacity of 7.9 tons / 12 hours
chuangba hydrogenation station deputy head Wang libing told the securities times that the filling capacity of the station is 1000kg / 12 hours, and 150 hydrogen fuel buses can be filled every day.
“On average, each vehicle will be filled with hydrogen for 15 minutes, with a range of about 400 kilometers. During the Winter Olympics, 87 hydrogen fueled buses will be hydrogenated every day, and 150 buses will be hydrogenated after the Winter Olympics, and it will increase gradually.”
In the investigation, the reporter also saw that the demonstration of joint stations such as hydrogenation refueling, hydrogenation refueling and hydrogenation charging has also been carried out in Zhangjiakou, which shows that Zhangjiakou has begun to explore the operation mode of new and efficient hydrogenation stations. The national energy Wanquan Oil hydrogen electricity comprehensive energy station project is a comprehensive intelligent energy station integrating oil, hydrogen and electricity. It has diesel and gasoline, 35MPa / 70MPa hydrogenation and five fast charging piles to meet the energy supplement needs of ordinary fuel vehicles, pure electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Yin Xuguang told reporters that at present, Zhangjiakou government advocates the simultaneous construction of oil and hydrogen stations to supplement gas with oil and enhance revenue capacity. In the future, private enterprises will be opened to enter the hydrogenation field.
The most upstream hydrogen production has always been a difficult problem perplexing the development of hydrogen energy industry in many places, but it is also the source of the whole hydrogen energy industry chain. Wang Ying, a doctoral student majoring in automotive engineering at Tsinghua University, told reporters that the existing preparation mainly includes two categories. Hydrogen production from fossil energy emits a large amount of carbon dioxide, which is called “grey hydrogen” in the industry; Hydrogen production by electrolyzing water can achieve “green hydrogen”, but the economic problem is difficult to solve.
Zhangjiakou’s strategy in the field of hydrogen production is to promote the construction of green hydrogen source production base. The reporter saw locally that at present, four hydrogen production plants have been built in Zhangjiakou, including Harper, shell, Guyuan and Chongli, with a total hydrogen production capacity of 17 tons / day.
Harper is one of the hydrogen suppliers for the Winter Olympic Games and the winter Paralympic Games. Relying on the abundant green power resources in Zhangjiakou, hydrogen is produced by electrolytic desalted water, and finally the “green power” is produced into “green hydrogen”. Although hydrogen production from electrolyzed water needs to consume a lot of power resources, the cost of hydrogen production has been effectively reduced due to the sufficient green power resources and favorable policies in Zhangjiakou.
adaptation scene to be expanded
Renewable energy utilization is the unique advantage of Zhangjiakou.
Wang Ying told reporters, “Among the five major urban agglomerations, Shanghai’s Saic Motor Corporation Limited(600104) , Henan’s Yutong Bus Co.Ltd(600066) , are important local additions. Because they can bring landing scenes to fuel cells and represent the technical strength of the head, they are conducive to the formation of characteristic development paths. The important addition of Zhangjiakou is sufficient green power resources, which is conducive to the acceleration of hydrogen energy commercialization through cost reduction.”
The “five major urban agglomerations” mentioned by Wang Ying are rising rapidly in China’s hydrogen energy territory. In 2020, the five national ministries and commissions jointly issued the notice on the demonstration application of fuel cell vehicles, which attracted nearly 20 urban agglomerations to apply. After several rounds of expert review, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong urban agglomerations were approved in September 2021, and Henan and Hebei Urban Agglomerations were also approved at the end of 2021. Since then, the national fuel cell vehicle demonstration and application urban agglomeration has initially formed a “3 + 2” pattern.
According to the implementation plan of Hebei Urban Agglomeration, during the four-year demonstration period, the hydrogen production capacity of Hebei Urban Agglomeration will reach 200000 tons, of which green hydrogen accounts for more than 60%. 7710 fuel cell vehicles of various types will be promoted and applied, including 1680 fuel cell buses, 5980 fuel cell trucks including logistics vehicles / heavy trucks / special vehicles, and 50 fuel cell passenger vehicles, 86 hydrogen refueling stations will be built. Among them, Zhangjiakou will produce more than 50000 tons of hydrogen, and the cost of hydrogen production from renewable energy will be reduced from 30 yuan / kg to 14 yuan / kg; 14 hydrogenation stations have been built; Promote 1130 fuel cell buses, commuter buses, logistics vehicles, heavy trucks and sanitation vehicles.
At the same time, according to the previously released hydrogen energy Zhangjiakou construction plan (20192035), after becoming a first-class hydrogen energy city in China in 2021, it will be built into an internationally famous hydrogen energy city by 2035.
At present, it has the layout of the whole industrial chain including hydrogen production, hydrogenation, hydrogen storage, hydrogen energy industry equipment manufacturing and hydrogen energy vehicle manufacturing. At the same time, with the opportunity of 2022 Winter Olympic Games, it shows its rich experience in the maintenance, operation and management of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This makes the hydrogen energy industry like a new business card of Zhangjiakou.
Wang Ying also told reporters that the Zhangjiakou model can be regarded as a reflection of the development path of the demonstration area. “Each urban agglomeration carries out a complete demonstration of the whole industrial chain, and forms its own industrial development characteristics in its own prominent fields. This joint model of characteristic demonstration of all links will form the best demonstration of the whole industrial chain nationwide.”
Yu Min also said, “it will be very difficult to develop the hydrogen energy industry if we only catch a certain point. Zhangjiakou has done a good job in the closed-loop industry. Coupled with its own resource endowment, it provides a reference for other regions to develop the hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicle industry.”
After the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, hydrogen energy will “return” to the daily life of Zhangjiakou people.
Yin Xuguang told reporters that after more than three years of operation, hydrogen fuel cell buses have become a common means of transportation for Zhangjiakou people, and the hydrogen fuel cell buses allocated for the Winter Olympic Games will return to the operation of daily lines
In addition, military hydrogen energy is also expected to improve the agenda. Gong Xingjun, general manager of Zhangjiakou Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., told reporters that at present, the company’s air cooling technology and hydrogen energy technology have been able to be applied in UAV and other scenes, and a broader application in military products will be considered in the next step.
Wang Ying said, “nationwide, in addition to focusing on the fuel cell vehicle industry, various demonstration application city clusters may further seek to drive the layout and development of the whole industrial chain of hydrogen energy, promote the wide application of hydrogen energy in industry and civil use, and play a greater role in the process of energy transformation.”
how to solve the problem of commercialization
“Zhangjiakou model” can be regarded as one of the pathfinding samples for the development of hydrogen energy.
According to the calculation of China hydrogen energy alliance, by 2030, China’s hydrogen demand will reach 35 million tons from the current 20 million tons, and the proportion in the terminal energy system will increase from less than 3% to 5%; By 2050, hydrogen energy will account for at least 10% of China’s terminal energy system, the demand for hydrogen is close to 60 million tons, and the annual output value of the industrial chain will reach 12 trillion yuan.
Although the market prospect is broad, it is also found in the reporter’s investigation that the real development of hydrogen energy industry depends not only on the demonstration application, but also on the restraint of different factors such as top-level policies, economic benefits, technological progress and business model.
For enterprises, the difficulty of technical problem solving bears the brunt. Wang Ying told reporters that from the assessment and evaluation rules for fuel cell vehicle demonstration urban agglomeration issued by the previous five ministries and commissions, the objectives include breakthroughs in the research and development of eight key core technologies of fuel cells, such as electric stack, membrane electrode, proton exchange membrane, carbon paper, catalyst, bipolar sector, hydrogen circulation system and air compressor. At present, China’s hydrogen energy industry as a whole is still in the initial stage of transition from technology research and development to industrial cultivation and commercialization.
Gong Xingjun also told reporters, “through the application demonstration in the next four years, the fuel cell technology will be more mature, the product technology iteration will be accelerated, and the foundation will be laid for the substantial reduction of product prices and commercial operation in the future. However, the realization of this process is not easy.”
Zhangjiakou Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., where Gong Xingjun is located, adopts air cooling technology rarely seen in the world, and is the only hydrogen fuel air cooling enterprise in China. The advantage of this technology is that it has simple structure and can quickly reduce the cost.
According to the company’s prediction, the price of air-cooled vehicles can be less than 100000 yuan within two years, so as to make the hydrogen fuel power generation system more popular.
but Gong Xingjun pointed out, “At present, the company’s working capital is fully funded by shareholders, and there is no external financing in the initial stage. Due to poor conditions, the company simulates wind, sand and humidity, and all of them are tested in simple tents built in the company’s office area. Although the company has established relevant production lines, there is still a long way to go before the production capacity is full due to the lack of downstream application.”
Wang Ying believes that compared from different levels such as policy, penetration, technology and scenarios, China’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are at a stage similar to the pure electric vehicles in 2010. “Taking technology and scenarios as an example, at present, China’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are mainly commercial vehicles, and passenger vehicles have not realized marketization and mass production. The promotion of policies gives priority to the application fields of commercial vehicles such as buses, heavy trucks and logistics vehicles. This development model is similar to that of pure electric vehicles around 2010.”
One of the difficulties in solving technical problems lies in parts. Regardless of any technical route, There is a common saying in the industry: “cars don’t make money, what makes money is parts. This is one of the important reasons why A-share companies, including Foxconn and Luxshare Precision Industry Co.Ltd(002475) etc., have successively migrated from the mobile phone industry chain to the automobile industry chain, thus deducting the rare migration of industrial capacity in history. Wang Ying believes that” this phenomenon shows that on the one hand, China’s automobile industry may be the real opportunity to overtake in curves. On the other hand, it also reflects the challenges of independent research and development and innovation.
Technical problems need to be solved continuously, which will inevitably hinder the commercialization of the industry. Some purchasers in South China told the securities times that as the whole is still in the crab eating stage, their own procurement requires not only the warranty commitment of the vehicle manufacturer, but also the warranty commitment letter of relevant supporting manufacturers, such as the warranty commitment of fuel cells, so as to minimize their own procurement risk.
midstream how to reduce costs is also one of the difficulties. Wang Ying introduced that from a national perspective, at present, the hydrogen supply capacity of the hydrogenation station is small, and the hydrogen storage and transportation has not been well solved, resulting in the high cost of the whole link of hydrogenation, hydrogen transportation and filling, resulting in the high price of hydrogen terminal. “According to industry estimates, when the terminal price of hydrogen is about 30 yuan per kilogram, the use cost of fuel cell vehicles will be equivalent to that of current diesel and gasoline vehicles. At that time, the hydrogen energy industry will enter a good market-oriented operation state. At present, there are few cases like Zhangjiakou that use the advantages of resources to reduce costs. “
Yin Xuguang also told reporters that hydrogen energy utilization is a large industrial chain, which can not be completely solved by one field and one enterprise, and requires multi-party cooperation; Only by connecting the upstream and downstream, can the problems perplexing the development of the industry such as cost and facilities be solved systematically.
At the end of the reporter’s investigation, the wind of early spring in Zhangjiakou still invaded the muscles. Whether hydrogen energy development will become a long-term tuyere or a periodic gust remains to be answered by all participants. However, the melting ice and snow shows that spring is indeed here.
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