Hydrogen energy industry is a huge industrial chain from hydrogen production to storage and transportation and to application. In hydrogen energy downstream application fields, currently, the most acknowledged is hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV). Industry generally believes that, there is a complementary relationship between FCV and blade electric vehicle (BEV), to those commercial used vehicles, especially long-distance transportation application, FCV has more advantages. Vehicle used fuel cell systems include fuel cell stack, air supply system, hydrogen storage and hydrogen circulation device and DC/DC convertor etc. and occupies above 50% of fuel cell whole vehicle cost. Fuel cell stacks are mainly constructed by monocell by way of stacking, monocell includes bipolar plate, MEA and sealing ring. MEA includes proton exchange membrane, catalyst and gas diffusion layer.
In order to promote healthy development of China hydrogen energy industrial chain and fuel cell industrial chain, and provide the truest industry information, ASIACHEM held ‘2018-2019 Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell China Tour Survey Activity’. Dec 2018, ASIACHEM visited Wuhan HydraV Fuel Cell Tech. Co. Ltd. and launched deep communications on technologies and industry information of the company.
Shenzhen Center Power Tech. is China largest export battery enterprise and also a listed company which stretches over lead-acid cell, LIB and fuel cell 3 major battery systems. Currently, Center Power has become one of staunch supporters of China hydrogen and fuel cell industry, construction 1 standard experiment and inspection center, directly invested 5 industrial chain enterprises, cooperated with 3 industry research institutes and participated in many hydrogen fuel cell whole vehicles’ research and announcements. Meanwhile, Center Power has invested and R&D on low Pt-loaded catalyst, MEA and Al to hydrogen fields and made staged achievements.
Since 2017, Center Power has invested and set-up HydraV Fuel Cell Tech. Co. Ltd. in Shenzhen, Wuhan, Datong, Shanghai and Guangdong etc. places, co-development and co-promote hydrogen energy industry planning and distribution, and realize city green development.
As the only company in China owning a domestic integrated industrial chain of hydrogen fuel cell, Wuhan HydraV fuel cell industry has 5 characteristics as below: 1) Global industrialization hydrogen energy industry: In industrial chain, especially each core link, realizes China smart manufacturing; 2) Most complete industrial chain: Plan to completely distributing all key links of hydrogen energy and fuel cell, and has become the enterprise which has most complete hydrogen energy and fuel cell industrial chain; 3) Outstanding safety: In key hydrogen production and hydrogen storage field, Wuhan HydraV and its partners master unique aluminum to hydrogen etc. safety, environmental protection and low cost core technologies, provide safety guarantee to users; 4) Solid commercial mode: parts, products, system integration, financing and leasing, echelon use etc. links realize linkage and form solid commercial development mode: 5) Abundant capital: Strong capital strength, abundant financing channel and provide development of hydrogen energy and fuel cell with strong rear services power.
Wuhan HydraV has finished distribution of key links in hydrogen energy industrial chain and targeted as constructing whole industrial chain close loop. The company has invested / planned to invest / cooperate fields are as fig shown below.
In specific, Wuhan HydraV independent R&D fuel cell engines rank leading level in China on volume specific power and mass specific power and comprehensive performance is second to none in China; stack products cover graphite plate, composite plate and metal plate and rated power covers 18kW-100kW, comprehensive performance ranks Top in China; meanwhile, the company also is one of the largest MEA R&D and manufacture enterprise in the world, China the largest, and the only MEA enterprise which accumulated output reaches million pieces.
In terms of technology support, the company cooperates with Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Tongji University and South China University of Technology etc. constructing industry-academia-research integration. In terms of industry forward looking layout, the company set up research centers in Hubei Wuhan, Shanxi Datong, Guangdong Shenzhen and Canada Vancouver. Among, Wuhan Hydrogen Energy and Technical Research Center budget is CNY 200M, sets up ‘1 Institute and 2 Centers’ (1 institute: hydrogen energy industry research institute; 2 centers: experiment, examine and detection center and technology transfer and industrialization center), mainly focuses on engineering design.
The company overall strategic target is: current target (2018-2019), to realize technology breakthrough and production line construction; mid-term target (2020-2022), technology improvement and market share increase; long-term target (2023-2030) is Top 2 in output value in China, Top 2 in business income in China, world first legion, steady market share.
Oct 2017, Wuhan HydraV signed HydraV Hydrogen Fuel Cell Industrial Park <Investment and Cooperation Agreement> with Hubei Wuhan Development Zone Administrative Committee. Information shows that, the project total investment is CNY 3.9bgn. The company estimates to construction 100k sets/a engines production base, 100k sets/a stacks production base and 500k m2/a MEA production base within 3-5 years; meanwhile, will construction and demonstration operation 10~20 hydrogen refueling stations, realize more than 3000 hydrogen energy whole vehicle demonstration operation in Wuhan.
At present, Wuhan HydraV 6000m2 MEA workshop decoration has finished, MEA devices are under installation and debugging; stack workshop design has finished and estimates to trial production in Apr 2019; engines have partly installation and debugging and has trial production about 100 engines, in 2018, it would be loaded on 70 Zhongtong and Wuhan Kaiwo buses.
Jan 2018, HydraV signed HydraV Datong Industrial Park Project <Investment and Cooperation Agreement> with Shanxi Datong Government. Information shows that, the project total investment is CNY 3bn. The company estimates to construction 50k sets/a hydrogen fuel cell engine systems production base and 50k sets/a stacks production base within 3 years; meanwhile, will construction and demonstration operation 5~20 hydrogen refueling stations, realize more than 3000 hydrogen energy whole vehicle demonstration operation in Datong.
At present, Datong HydraV Phase-1 contemporary workshop has operation, capacity 30k sets/a hydrogen fuel cell engine systems.
In terms of product R&D, the company developed QX-3045 45kW fuel cell engine system, Gen-3 composite plate fuel cell stack and Gen-4 metal plate fuel cell stack etc.
In terms of whole vehicle, the company cooperated and developed 8.5m Kaiwo fuel cell coach with Nanjing King-Long, cooperated and developed Dongfeng fuel cell van with Dongfeng Motor, cooperated and developed 10.5m Zhongtong fuel cell city coach have been listed in MIIT publicity catalog.
Sep 2018, the company signed 300 fuel cell vehicles order framework agreement with Shanxi Datong: in 2018, the company would put 50 fuel cell vehicles (10 8.5m fuel cell city coaches, 40 10.5m fuel cell city coaches) on market; in 2019, fuel cell vehicle order 250 and total amount is CNY 1.008bn. In Wuhan, there would be 20 fuel cell buses put into operation in Wuhan Development Zone in 2018. Besides, in Sep 2018, China first hydrogen fuel cell logistics vehicle operation alliance ‘Hydrogen Vehicle Operation Alliance’ was established in Shanghai, HydraV participated in signing and planned to put more than 500 and 2000 logistics vehicles in 2018 and 2019, respectively, on the market.
In terms of construction of hydrogen refueling station, currently, Wuhan Hannan Hydrogen Refueling Station has completion and estimates to put into use in recent days, this station is Wuhan first fixed hydrogen refueling station and size is 1000kg/a, it is one of the largest hydrogen refueling stations in China, and Zhihuicheng Hydrogen Refueling Station has finished public land leasing. Datong Guanlan Huafu Hydrogen Refueling Station and Park Hydrogen Refueling Station are synchronous constructing and estimate to put into use in recent days.
