On October 22nd, it was learned from CNOOC that the "Sarat Freight Ship" had successfully arrived at Yantian Port in Shenzhen after more than ten thousand miles of ocean shipping. This means that the world's farthest liquid hydrogen sea transportation demonstration project has been successfully completed, marking China's entry into a new track of "pioneering" the development of the global hydrogen long-distance transoceanic transportation and utilization industry.

The safe and efficient transportation technology of hydrogen energy is a key factor in determining whether the hydrogen energy industry can develop rapidly. The current transportation modes are mainly gas hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, and organic storage and transportation of hydrogen. Among them, liquid hydrogen has the advantages of high energy density and transportation efficiency, and has become the preferred form for solving large-scale and long-distance hydrogen energy transportation and utilization in the future.

The transoceanic liquid hydrogen transportation demonstration project adopts refrigerated tank containers for loading. The cargo ship was loaded from the port of Rotterdam in Europe on September 4th local time, passing through the Atlantic Ocean to Cape of Good Hope and then to the Strait of Malacca, and finally arrived at Yantian Port in Shenzhen, completing the long-distance transoceanic transportation of liquid hydrogen with a tonnage of over.

Xiao Li, Chief Design Engineer of the Technology Research and Development Center of China National Offshore Oil and Gas Corporation, stated that the project team has systematically carried out full industry chain technology research and development for the long-distance transoceanic transportation of liquid hydrogen. They have overcome technical challenges such as process control technology for liquid hydrogen tank and container shipping, quantitative risk identification technology for the entire industry chain, and "ship side direct lifting" unloading of Class 2.1 hazardous chemicals in ports. They have also cleared safety technical bottlenecks in various links and ensured the smooth implementation of the "first voyage".

The use of liquid hydrogen in fuel cells can effectively extend their lifespan, while achieving low-temperature storage, high-precision supply under multiple operating conditions, and high technological maturity. Therefore, for heavy-duty and long-distance hydrogen powered vehicles, it is the most competitive and potential fuel.

At present, the global market for liquid hydrogen usage is over 500 tons per day, with domestic liquid hydrogen production capacity reaching up to 5 tons per day. It is mainly used in aerospace and other fields, and there is great potential for civilian liquid hydrogen production.

Xiao Li, Chief Design Engineer of the Technology Research and Development Center of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), stated that liquid hydrogen supply has high purity, and impurities such as sulfur and chlorine can be effectively controlled in various stages of the technical route, which can effectively meet the special requirements of high-end manufacturing fields such as semiconductors, electric vacuum materials, silicon chips, and optical fibers.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, by 2050, over 30% of hydrogen production will be used for international trade. As the largest hydrogen producing country, China can produce up to 40 million tons of hydrogen annually. The successful implementation of the long-distance transoceanic liquid hydrogen transportation demonstration project has explored new practical paths to promote the construction of innovation and industrial chains in China.

The accelerated development of China's hydrogen energy industry chain

Hydrogen energy, as a clean, efficient and high-quality energy carrier, is an important component of the future national energy system and a crucial carrier for achieving China's green and low-carbon transformation. It is predicted that by 2060, the scale of China's hydrogen energy industry will reach 4.6 trillion yuan.

In March 2019, hydrogen energy was first included in China's Government Work Report, and this year's Two Sessions' Government Work Report also pointed out the need to accelerate the development of cutting-edge emerging industries such as hydrogen energy, new materials, and innovative drugs. The National Development and Reform Commission, National Energy Administration and other ministries have successively issued multiple supporting plans and policies to promote the continuous improvement of the hydrogen energy research and development, preparation, storage and application chain.

Ding Feng, Deputy Secretary of the China Hydrogen Energy Alliance, stated that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has released a list of six batches of specialized, refined, and new "little giants", with over 90 hydrogen related companies on the list, and the number is increasing year by year. The business type is also developing comprehensively from fuel cells to production, storage, and transportation. The "Medium - and Long Term Plan for the Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)" states that by 2030, a relatively complete technological innovation system, clean energy hydrogen production, and supply system for the hydrogen energy industry will be formed.

At present, a total of 438 hydrogen energy policies have been issued in various cities in China, and 45 out of 97 central enterprises have laid out hydrogen energy. There are over 1000 key enterprises in the entire industry chain.

By the end of 2023, the number of hydrogen refueling stations built and operated in China has reached 428, and 58 renewable energy hydrogen production projects have been jointly built, covering 21 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. It is predicted that by 2060, China's hydrogen energy consumption will reach nearly 86 million tons, and the industrial scale will reach 4.6 trillion yuan.