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In the "15-17" planning proposal, hydrogen energy is listed as a future industry. Green hydrogen, which is produced from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, is becoming an indispensable force in driving the energy transition. However, challenges such as high costs, the need to break through key technologies, and insufficient safety awareness still remain. How can the green hydrogen industry break through and enter the blue ocean of large-scale application? Recently, the China Chemical Industry Daily interviewed several industry experts. 

The inevitable choice for achieving the "dual carbon" goal 

According to the production methods and carbon emission levels, hydrogen energy mainly consists of three technical routes: gray hydrogen, blue hydrogen, and green hydrogen. Among them, green hydrogen, which generates almost no carbon emissions during production, is becoming a key lever for achieving the "dual carbon" goals. 

Recently, green hydrogen has been included in the government work reports of several provinces. For instance, Jilin Province aims to strengthen the entire industrial chain of green electricity, green hydrogen, green chemical industry and equipment manufacturing, and promote the development of the "green hydrogen +" industry; Qinghai Province focuses on "green production from green sources", accelerating the implementation of the green power direct connection project, and strengthening green hydrogen and other brands; Liaoning Province promotes the full-chain development of green hydrogen and ammonia alcohol, builds a Northeast Asia green fuel storage, transportation and refueling center, and strives to become a national green hydrogen and hydrogen-based energy base. 

Why choose green hydrogen? Yin Yutian, the general manager of the Hydrogen Division of Aerospace Changzheng Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., compared green hydrogen to a "router" that connects new energy with traditional industries. She pointed out: "Green hydrogen converts new energy into green power that can be used in fields such as chemicals, metallurgy, and transportation, playing the role of a bridge and a link." Wei Qiuli, the executive vice president of the China Energy Economic Research Institute, believes that the significance of developing green hydrogen goes beyond the simple energy category and has become an important part of building a green production and lifestyle. 

Wang Qingbin, the general manager of Beijing Paihuihua Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., stated that the development of green hydrogen is, to a certain extent, a result of the "carbon neutrality" goal being "forced" by circumstances, and it is also a strategic choice to integrate into the global economic environment and avoid future trade barriers. 

Large-scale application faces three major challenges 

Although the policies and standards are clear, the large-scale application of green hydrogen has yet to reach the expected level. Experts point out that insufficient economic viability, the need for improved technological maturity, and safety challenges are the three obstacles on the path of industrial development. 

The lack of economic efficiency is the primary obstacle to the large-scale application of green hydrogen. Wei Qi-li stated straightforwardly: "Currently, green hydrogen is still in the early stage of commercialization. The biggest problem is that its cost efficiency is insufficient." Yin Yutian further analyzed that the cost of electricity accounts for 60% to 70% of the production cost of green hydrogen. Coupled with depreciation, operation and maintenance, as well as other variable costs, it leads to a short-term high price for the terminal product of green hydrogen. 

Wang Qingbin made a calculation. Even in regions with abundant wind and solar energy resources like Inner Mongolia, if the production cost of hydrogen is controlled at 20-30 yuan per kilogram, after going through a series of processes such as long-distance hazardous material transportation, hydrogen station operation, refueling, taxes and fees, the final cost may soar to over 50-80 yuan per kilogram. In the competition with cheaper industrial by-product hydrogen, it would have no advantage. He believes that relying on national subsidies and policy directives for a long time is unsustainable. Eventually, it is necessary to rely on the market to timely regulate and establish a market mechanism suitable for the product. "Just like one ton of steel with green certificates can be more popular than ordinary steel. In such a market mechanism, enterprises will have the real motivation to develop green hydrogen," he said. 

Secondly, the technological maturity of green hydrogen still needs to be improved. Yin Yutian pointed out that in terms of equipment, the operation time is short and the problems are not fully exposed, which is not sufficient to guide the efficient iteration of products; in the engineering aspect, there has not yet been a comprehensive and systematic coupling of engineering and equipment, and a "smart brain" capable of handling unstable green electricity and efficiently producing hydrogen still requires meticulous refinement. She called on the industry to adopt a humble and cautious attitude towards green hydrogen equipment and engineering technology, focusing on product reliability and technological upgrades, rather than blindly getting caught up in price competition. 

Wei Qiuli also stated that the electrolyzer technology still needs to be improved. The capacity, efficiency and energy consumption need to be further optimized. Localized development of more economically viable hydrogen production technologies should be pursued, in order to produce green hydrogen more efficiently. 

The safety aspect in storage and transportation also poses challenges. Wei Qiuli pointed out that green hydrogen still has significant safety risks during storage and transportation, and many materials or storage devices cannot fully ensure the safety of green hydrogen. Although hydrogen is controllable in the professional chemical field, the storage, transportation and use risks at the civilian level cannot be ignored either. Moreover, there is insufficient public education and a lack of professional capabilities to deal with emergencies such as hydrogen leakage. "We need to make the public think of hydrogen as they do of gasoline vehicles, so that when there are minor problems, they can be easily handled. Only then can hydrogen truly be promoted in the civilian sector," he said. 

The development of traditional energy and new energy is not a matter of substitution; rather, they need to be developed together. Although green hydrogen is an inevitable trend in the industry, at present, the main issue to be addressed is survival. Whether it comes to institutional design or rule setting, one must act within one's capabilities and adapt to local conditions. Wang Qingbin pointed out. 

Identify the right position to create certain demand 

Facing numerous challenges, Wei Qiuli suggested: "The industry should accurately determine its market positioning. The positioning of green hydrogen should shift from 'energy' to 'industrial raw material'. It should be prioritized for use as a green raw material in the chemical and metallurgical sectors, creating large-scale and high-value certain demand. Through large-scale application, the industry chain can be matured, and time can be gained for subsequent cost reduction and technological breakthroughs." 

In order to fundamentally reduce storage and transportation costs, he proposed two solutions: one is "local consumption", where the industry is directly located in the western and northern regions with abundant wind and solar resources, achieving hydrogen production but without transportation; the other is "island system", on islands with abundant wind and marine resources, hydrogen is produced locally through wind power generation or marine power generation, and is used for local energy supply points, minimizing the cost burden of intermediate links to the greatest extent. 

To avoid the high costs and risks associated with hydrogen storage and transportation, converting green hydrogen into green ammonia alcohol has become a new trend in the industry. Wei Qiuli pointed out that the current focus of the industry is on "green hydrogen ammonia alcohol". Among them, green ammonia alcohol is highly safe and can be used to "green" part of the current oil or gas in terms of shipping and refueling. It has great potential for application in aviation transportation, shipping, and coal power sectors. 

Although the road ahead is long, the industry has reached a consensus that green hydrogen will eventually achieve large-scale application. "At present, it is certain that the green hydrogen industry will achieve large-scale application in the future," Wang Qingbin said. From Japan, South Korea, Europe to oil-producing countries in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran, as well as Australia, Chile, Brazil, and Southeast Asian countries, the world is actively promoting emission reduction and carbon reduction, which has created a huge international market space for green hydrogen. 

Regarding the timing of the explosive growth of the industry, the industry needs to maintain rationality and patience. Wang Qingbin believes that the green hydrogen industry chain covers a wide range of fields, not only involving hydrogen production itself, but also including the storage, transportation, distribution and utilization of hydrogen. The mature cycle for its wide application may occur within the next 30 or even 50 years. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the theme of the green hydrogen industry remains to lay the foundation and establish the system. The industry needs to continue to make efforts in a rigorous and practical manner, advancing steadily in technological research and development, standard formulation, and business model exploration, in order to accumulate strength for significant progress in the "15th Five-Year Plan". 

Yin Yutian used the phrase "prosperous development" to summarize the future trend of green hydrogen. She stated that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, especially in the middle and later stages, the industry as a whole will present a healthy and positive trend. This "positive trend" is not uncontrolled expansion, but rather the industry, after undergoing a process of purification, gradually becomes rational, conducting in-depth exploration around core scenarios such as green chemical engineering, green metallurgy, and green fuels, and ultimately advancing into a new stage of high-quality development.