China's First Industrial Seawater Hydrogen Project Reaches 1,000-Hour Milestone

China has reached a milestone in seawater hydrogen production after the country's first industrial-scale demonstration project completed 1,000 hours of continuous operation, marking a step toward the broader deployment of green hydrogen technologies.

The project, located at the Industry-Research-Application Hydrogen Demonstration Park of Sinopec Qingdao Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. in Qingdao, began operating at the end of 2024. It integrates hydrogen production with refinery operations, using seawater as its primary feedstock and supplying hydrogen for industrial applications.

Reducing Dependence on Freshwater

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a key low-carbon energy carrier in the global energy transition. Conventional water electrolysis relies on large volumes of high-purity freshwater, posing challenges in regions where freshwater resources are limited.

The Qingdao project demonstrates an alternative approach by producing hydrogen directly from seawater, reducing dependence on freshwater while making use of abundant marine resources.

Overcoming the Challenges of Direct Seawater Electrolysis

Direct seawater electrolysis presents significant technical challenges because seawater contains about 3 percent dissolved salts and other impurities that can corrode equipment and trigger unwanted chlorine generation during electrolysis.

To address these issues, engineers use renewable electricity generated by the demonstration park's floating photovoltaic power station to power the electrolysis process. The project incorporates corrosion-resistant electrolyzers, chlorine-suppression technologies and a dedicated seawater pretreatment system, together with specially designed supporting equipment.

The integrated system is capable of producing 20 cubic meters of green hydrogen per hour through direct seawater electrolysis.

Expanding Commercial Applications

Hydrogen produced by the project is being used in both transportation and industrial applications.

Hydrogen-powered shared bicycles equipped with solid-state hydrogen storage tanks can travel approximately 100 kilometers on about 80 grams of hydrogen. At Qingdao Port, hydrogen-powered tugboats and cargo-handling equipment are helping reduce emissions from port operations.

The hydrogen produced at the facility can also be fed directly into the refinery's pipeline network, providing a lower-carbon feedstock for petroleum refining.

Supporting the Growth of Green Hydrogen

Industry forecasts estimate that China's installed renewable hydrogen production capacity could exceed 100 gigawatts by 2030.

As technologies continue to mature and production costs decline, seawater hydrogen production is expected to play an increasingly important role in expanding green hydrogen supply, particularly in coastal regions where seawater and renewable energy resources are readily available.

The successful operation of the Qingdao demonstration project provides practical experience for scaling up industrial seawater hydrogen production and supports broader efforts to decarburize industry, transportation and other hard-to-abate sectors.