Sinopec, China’s state-owned oil company, has started work on the world’s largest solar-powered electrolyser in the Xinjiang region in the west of the country.
The company will spend $470m on the scheme, which is expected to produce up to 20,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year, beginning next September, Global Times reports.
The electrolyser, which uses electricity to break apart water molecules, will be powered by a 300MW solar farm.
The project cost includes transformers, storage tanks for liquid hydrogen, as well as photovoltaic modules, electrolyser components. According to Sinopec, these will be manufactured locally to boost the economy of the Kuqa City area.
It is estimated that the plant will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 485,000 tons a year once it is put into operation, and will contribute $20m to local GDP while also generating $3m in tax revenues.
