News

Recently, Chen Hong, Vice President of Vision Group, was invited to attend the online seminar "Hydrogen on the Wind: Strategy and Commercialization Practice of Hydrogen Energy" hosted by Triumph Ventures, National Green Development Fund and 36 Carbon Channel under 36 Krypton, to discuss the current situation, commercialization and development trend of hydrogen energy with many industry experts and leaders.

On 23 March 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the Long-term Plan for the Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035). Focusing on the development plan of the hydrogen energy industry, it has a clearer and more macro expression of the strategic positioning of hydrogen energy, and also clarifies the energy attributes of hydrogen, making it clear that hydrogen is one of the important carriers to achieve green and low-carbon transformation and is a key direction of strategic emerging industries.

The following is a transcript of the speech:

Nationalised alternatives deserve attention

As the demand for energy transformation continues to rise, hydrogen energy has become the new favourite in the green race in various countries and regions. For the development of the domestic hydrogen energy industry, Chen Hong believes that in addition to the subsidy-driven technology track, industry partners can pay more attention to the non-subsidised market and actively expand overseas markets.

At the same time, we should see that companies developing localised alternative technologies, often with huge time costs and capital investment, will be fully committed to R&D and need more subsidy support and market attention.

The industry needs an invisible hand to help it develop

The hydrogen energy industry involves a very long chain from production, storage and transportation to the final application on the ground. Each link will influence the direction of the industry's development. For example, the price of hydrogen, hydrogen refuelling stations, and the application of the scenario all need to be looked at.

The price of hydrogen

The national policy of treating hydrogen as an energy product is a big step forward in favour of hydrogen management and cost reduction. If hydrogen is classified as a dangerous product, the price of hydrogen will never come down.

Application scenarios

The main advantages of hydrogen energy scenarios are heavy duty, low temperature and long range. Ultimately, the focus should be on the commercial market where customers can afford to use it, rather than simply looking at the amount of subsidies or the cost effectiveness of subsidies. This is a detour that lithium-ion has taken, and lessons need to be learned.

A healthy ecology is one that is harmonious and different and blossoms in all directions

Chen Hong believes that localisation is the way to go for the future development of technology, but at present, localisation is not fully combined with application. With regard to the breakthrough of technology, it is ultimately necessary to apply it to the scene. I hope that in the future we must not take the road of homogenization, but can cut from different application scenarios to do design, and can grow into a leader in different fields.

In addition, although localisation has been mentioned at present, it has not been fully realised, and the usage of most products has not yet reached the volume of batch. As an example, different membrane electrode manufacturers have different design concepts and may not be able to use them in common. There are also some differences in the reliability of quality control for real mass production.

From the system point of view, from the earliest control presses and humidifiers are imported development to now, some manufacturers of control presses are also in the localization of parts. In the future, there may be more breakthroughs in the hydrogen bottle, the large-scale application of hydrogen, the difference between 35 MPa and 70 MPa storage capacity is nearly double. The country has not yet mastered the technology of the carbon fibre material outside, and although some breakthroughs are being made, there is still a long way to go in the future.

At present, there are active R&D investment and application exploration in all aspects of the hydrogen energy industry. It is foreseeable that the overall cost of hydrogen will continue to decrease and the pace of industrial scale up will continue to accelerate. As a pioneer in the industry, Vision Hydrogen Team always holds the original intention of serving the world with smart energy. In the future, we will continue to make efforts and contribute Vision Group's strength to the energy transformation.