Recently, Shanghai Hydrogen Era Technology Co., Ltd. shipped the first batch of six 1,250 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers and supporting separation systems for Phase I of the wind- and solar-powered hydrogen production project of Inner Mongolia Baofeng Coal-based New Materials Co., Ltd. The shipment marks the delivery phase of China’s first hydrogen production facility to adopt a three-dimensional outdoor layout.

The project adopts an innovative three-dimensional configuration in which the process system is positioned above the electrolyzer stacks, combined with a semi-open workshop installation design. The layout improves land-use efficiency while ensuring safe operation and maintenance. Under the same production capacity, the design can reduce land requirements by more than 35% and lower construction and installation costs. The approach provides a practical engineering solution for integrated wind, solar and hydrogen projects in areas where land resources are limited.

The Z-series alkaline electrolyzers being shipped are standardized, series-produced products developed by Shanghai Hydrogen Era. They have previously been deployed in large-scale green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol projects in northern China, including Shanghai Electric’s Taonan Green Methanol Project and China Energy Engineering Group’s Songyuan project.

Featuring a multi-physics coupled flow-field design and uniform clamping-force technology, the electrolyzers are designed to support stable long-term operation. Their performance has also been validated through continuous operation in the cold climates of northern China, demonstrating their adaptability and durability.

A supporting 5,000 Nm³/h gas-liquid separation system has also been shipped. The system is described as the world’s largest-capacity three-dimensional outdoor unit of its kind and is supplied as a pre-assembled skid with a three-layer structure. It integrates alkaline solution recovery, condensate recovery and flexible hydrogen production control technologies, enabling safe and stable operation under low-temperature conditions and significant power fluctuations. The system is designed to accommodate the intermittent nature of renewable power generation.

At a State Council Information Office press conference on August 13, 2026, Li Gao, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said China’s national carbon emissions trading market will expand during the 15th Five-Year Plan period from power generation, steel, cement and aluminum smelting to high-emitting sectors including petrochemicals and chemicals. The expanded market is expected to cover approximately 80% of China’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Coal-chemical industries, including coal-to-synthetic-ammonia and coal-to-methanol production, are major sources and consumers of hydrogen. The integration of green hydrogen with coal-chemical production is expected to gain momentum during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Located in the Tuke Industrial Zone in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, the Inner Mongolia Baofeng wind-solar-hydrogen project is a large-scale demonstration project integrating green hydrogen with coal-to-olefin production. The project leverages the region’s abundant wind and solar resources to produce green hydrogen from renewable electricity, replacing fossil-fuel-derived hydrogen and helping reduce coal consumption and carbon emissions. It is intended to provide a practical model for the low-carbon transformation of the coal-chemical industry.

The project’s water electrolysis hydrogen production section, comprising 16 sets of 1,250 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers, was put out to tender in March 2026. Shanghai Hydrogen Era, Aerospace Engineering and Jiangsu Shuangliang Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. won contracts for eight, four and four electrolyzers, respectively.

Source：Hydrogen  Project Department