A 60 MW/120 MWh energy storage facility supporting China’s largest solar-hydrogen-storage integrated project was connected to the grid and began operation at 12:18 p.m. on October 14, marking a major milestone for the Guohua Rudong Solar-Hydrogen-Storage Project.

With both the photovoltaic (PV) power station and the energy storage facility now operational, the project has completed its power generation and energy storage components. The commissioning of the hydrogen production facility remains the final step toward fully integrated operation.

Located in the Yudong Reclamation Area of Rudong County, Jiangsu Province, the project is part of China’s third batch of large-scale wind and solar power base projects in desert, Gobi and barren land areas. It is a demonstration project combining power generation, hydrogen production and energy storage with integrated energy utilization and coastal ecological restoration.

The project is being jointly developed by the Rudong County Government, Guohua Energy Investment Co., Ltd., Beijing Low Carbon Clean Energy Research Institute, and Jiangsu Zhongtian Technology Co., Ltd. It covers approximately 4,300 mu (about 287 hectares) and includes a planned 400 MW PV power station, a 60 MW/120 MWh energy storage facility, and a hydrogen production station with a capacity of 1,500 Nm³/h.

According to Jiang Bin, project manager of the Guohua Rudong Solar-Hydrogen-Storage Project, the first units of the 400 MW PV power station were connected to the grid early in 2025, with full-capacity grid connection achieved on April 29 that year. Cumulative electricity supplied to the grid has since exceeded 750 million kWh.

The newly commissioned energy storage facility comprises 27 battery containers, each with a capacity of 5 MWh, 13 integrated power conversion system (PCS) and step-up transformer units rated at 5 MW each, and one additional integrated unit rated at 2.5 MW. It can provide approximately 120,000 kWh of electricity for peak shaving during periods of high daily demand.

Once the hydrogen production station is commissioned, the project is expected to produce approximately 482 tonnes of high-purity green hydrogen annually. The hydrogen will be supplied to industrial users in Rudong and surrounding areas, creating a closed-loop system that converts green electricity into green hydrogen and supporting the development of the regional green hydrogen value chain.

As a grid-side energy storage facility, the station will be dispatched by the Jiangsu power grid and coordinated with the PV power station and hydrogen production loads.

When solar power generation is high and the grid has limited capacity to absorb surplus electricity, excess power will be used to charge the batteries, while electrolyzers increase hydrogen production. This will allow surplus renewable electricity to be converted into hydrogen for longer-term storage.

During periods of peak electricity demand, the storage facility will discharge to support the grid, while hydrogen production loads will be adjusted to free up electricity for other users. The coordinated operating model is designed to enable hydrogen production during off-peak periods and electricity supply during peak-demand periods.

Rudong’s total installed new energy capacity has exceeded 8.3 GW, with wind and solar power now forming a major part of the local energy supply. The commissioning of the energy storage facility marks another step toward an integrated energy system combining power sources, the grid, loads, storage and hydrogen, improving the local utilization of renewable electricity and the ability to balance supply and demand.

Compiled from：Nantong Daily