2023 Competition pattern and development status of hydrogen production from water electrolysis

What is hydrogen production from water electrolysis?

Hydrogen production by water electrolysis is a convenient method for producing hydrogen. A direct current is passed through an electrolytic cell filled with electrolyte, and the water molecules undergo an electrochemical reaction on the electrode, breaking down into hydrogen and oxygen. When direct current is passed into some electrolyte aqueous solutions, the decomposed substance has nothing to do with the original electrolyte, and the water that is decomposed is the solvent, and the original electrolyte remains in the water. For example, sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and so on are such electrolytes.

Electrolytic water technology and photolysis water, thermal-chemical hydrogen production of different characteristics: electrolytic water technology is mature, simple equipment, no pollution, the obtained hydrogen high purity, less impurity content, suitable for various occasions, the disadvantage is high energy consumption, high cost of hydrogen production; At present, the difficulty of photodissociated water technology is the development of catalyst. The thermochemical cycle hydrogen production system is more complex, but the hydrogen production efficiency is higher, and the utilization efficiency is higher when combined with renewable energy.

Hydrogen energy, as the most promising clean energy, is of great significance for promoting energy transformation and promoting sustainable development of the global economy. At present, China takes coal hydrogen production and industrial by-product hydrogen as the main sources of hydrogen production, accounting for 64% and 21% respectively. Green hydrogen is an important development direction in the future. Coupled green hydrogen in the coal chemical industry will greatly reduce the use of coal and reduce carbon emissions.

Competition pattern and development status of hydrogen production by electrolytic water

At present, the main hydrogen production methods in China are hydrogen production by water electrolysis, hydrogen production by fossil energy and chemical by-production. Due to the high cost, hydrogen production by hydroelectrolysis accounts for less than 1% of the entire hydrogen supply system. With the rising demand for the development of green hydrogen, hydrogen production by water electrolysis is ushering in a new round of development opportunities.

Solid polymer electrolyte. Solid polymer electrolytes, SPE electrolytes water, were originally used to supply oxygen to spaceships or submarines, or as hydrogen generators in laboratories (which can be used in gas chromatography). After the large-scale development of nuclear power, people use SPE technology to electrolysis water to produce hydrogen in the low power supply, and use SPE hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell to supply power outward-making it an energy storage and conversion device.

High purity hydrogen is produced by direct electrolysis of pure water (without alkali), and hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis of pure water only in the electrolytic cell. When powered on, the cathode of the cell produces hydrogen, the anode produces oxygen, and the hydrogen enters the hydrogen/water separator. Oxygen drains into the atmosphere. A hydrogen/water separator separates hydrogen from water. After the hydrogen enters the dehumidification dryer, it is adjusted to the rated pressure (adjustable from 0.02 to 0.45Mpa) through the regulator and regulating valve. The hydrogen production pressure of the electrolytic cell is controlled by the sensor at about 0.45Mpa. When the pressure reaches the set value, the power supply of the electrolytic cell is cut off. The pressure drops, and the power supply resumes when it is below the set value.

In the chlor-alkali industry, more by-products than pure hydrogen, in addition to the synthesis of hydrochloric acid and surplus, can also be purified to produce general hydrogen or pure hydrogen. For example, hydrogen used in the second chemical plant is a by-product of electrolytic salt water. On December 9, 2018, Professor Yu Shuhong's team and Professor Gao Xingjian's team at the University of Science and Technology of China worked together to develop a new high-performance and low-cost ternary nanosheet electrocatalyst. The research was published in the international academic journal German Applied Chemistry.

On November 19, 2021, Ningxia Baofeng Energy, operator of the global single-plant electrolytic water hydrogen production project, said that after the company's first batch of electrolytic water hydrogen production projects are put into operation, it can increase coal resource consumption by about 380,000 tons and CO2 emissions by about 660,000 tons per year. If calculated according to the recent coal price of 1000 yuan/ton, it can directly reduce the raw material cost of 380 million yuan per year, and also reduce the benefit of 660,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

According to the "2022-2027 China electrolytic water hydrogen production industry market competition pattern analysis and development prospects Forecast Report" released by the Zhongpu Industrial Research Institute:

As of December 2022, there are more than 40 domestic manufacturers of electrolytic water hydrogen production equipment with real capacity, with a nominal total production capacity of 12GW. In view of the outlook for the future market, the capacity of enterprises in the industry is still continuing to expand.

According to incomplete statistics from the High-tech Hydrogen Research Institute (GGII), there will be about 23 new hydrogen production projects in China in 2020. Among them, there are 7 hydrogen production projects by electrolytic water, accounting for 30%, and hydrogen production projects by hydropower electrolysis have increased significantly in recent years. The landing of hydrogen energy industrial bases will drive the formation of industrial clusters and promote the construction of a more complete industrial cluster in the regional hydrogen energy industry. In addition to Guangdong and Shandong, many places began to lay out hydrogen energy industrial parks and industrial base projects this year. According to incomplete statistics, from 2022 to now, Beijing, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hebei, Henan, Guangdong and Inner Mongolia 8 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have planned a total of 30 new hydrogen energy industry projects to be started in 2022, of which hydrogen energy industrial park projects account for as high as 43%, accounting for almost half of the country. According to the relevant project planning and construction cycle, the first phase of most projects will be completed within the year.

Industry insiders said that in the future, the scale of hydrogen production from electrolytic water will be further expanded, the state needs to provide preferential policies for renewable energy hydrogen production, reduce the network fees and user fees for renewable energy hydrogen production, and it is expected that by 2030, the cost of renewable energy hydrogen production will be reduced to 15 yuan /kg.

Prediction of market development prospects for hydrogen production from electrolytic water

Since 2022, the total scale of hydrogen production of electrolytic water hydrogen production projects under construction and planned in China has reached 12.1GW, and 98.5% are renewable energy hydrogen production projects from the perspective of power sources. Among them, the installed capacity of planned completed projects in 2023 and 2024 will reach 1327MW and 4716MW respectively, and the domestic market for electrolytic water hydrogen production equipment will usher in a blowout development.

In 2021, hydrogen energy will be included in the future industrial layout of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Outline of the 2035 Vision Goal, which means that China will begin to vigorously develop the hydrogen energy industry. According to the statistics of the China Hydrogen Energy Alliance, the demand for hydrogen energy in China in 2020 has exceeded 20 million tons, and the demand for hydrogen in 2050 is expected to increase 7 times on the basis of 2020, reaching 160 million tons.

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