The Kuqa Green Hydrogen Pilot Project in Northwest China's Xinjiang autonomous region commenced operation recently, according to the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec).

Spearheaded by Sinopec's New Star Company, the mega project is the largest solar-to-hydrogen project in China, marking a milestone in the course of China's green hydrogen development, with a combined water electrolysis hydrogen production capacity of 20,000 tons per year.

As of June 2023, the project has commissioned the entire process of green hydrogen production, transportation, and its application in oil refining. It is anticipated that the project will serve as a replicable and scalable model for the production of green hydrogen from intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar in North and Northwest China.

Sinopec, a member of the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (IHFCA), is playing a leading role in advancing the development of China's hydrogen industry across the entire hydrogen value chain.

Sinopec has built more than 100 hydrogen refueling stations and is currently developing an integrated green hydrogen project in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, featuring both hydrogen production and transportation.

As of August, 2023, China's hydrogen industry has announced the initiation of over 300 renewable hydrogen projects, 36 of which are already in operation with a combined annual hydrogen production capacity of about 56,000 tons.

Source: Official website of the IHFCA