[SMM Analysis] Hydrogen Energy Breakthrough in the PV Dilemma: SNEC 2025 Reveals a New Era of Industry Integration

I. Exhibition Scene: When PV Giants Collectively Reveal Their "Hydrogen" Cards

As the world's largest PV exhibition, the exhibition halls of SNEC 2025 were somewhat different from previous years. Traditional solar cell and module companies occupied the prime positions, but the booths for energy storage systems (ESS), hydrogen energy, and smart chemical industrial parks were also bustling with activity. More notably, the four leading companies—LONGi, Trinasolar, Jinko, and GCL—also showcased their latest hydrogen energy equipment at their booths. Of course, there were also many gas companies and hydrogen energy enterprises presenting complementary offerings.

Three Major Phenomena Addressing Industry Pain Points:

Booth Structure Transformation:Trinasolar displayed electrolyzers alongside N-type TOPCon modules; LONGi's booth featured a full-process sand table of "green electricity → green hydrogen → green chemicals" at its core.

Signings Data Insights:Among the 23 projects exceeding 100 MW signed during the exhibition, 17 included hydrogen production modules (compared to only 6 in 2024).

Integration of Technological Routes:Huawei introduced the "Intelligent Hydrogen Production Energy Management System," achieving, for the first time, coordinated control of electrolyzers and PV inverters.

II. In-Depth Analysis of the PV Winter: Why Hydrogen Energy is the Key to Breaking the Deadlock

(I) Core Contradictions in the Industry's Predicament

Hydrogen energy, however, provides a three-dimensional breakthrough point:

Capacity Conversion Valve:1 GW of PV capacity can be paired with 200 MW of electrolyzers, with a conversion rate exceeding 1:5 (demonstrated at LONGi's Baotou base).

Value Amplifier:PV electricity0.3 yuan/kWh → green hydrogen 18 yuan/kg → synthetic ammonia 4,000 yuan/mt, with a value-added rate exceeding 300%.

Strong Policy Drivers:The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) requires a 40% reduction in the carbon footprint of imported fertilizers, compelling the procurement of green ammonia.

III. Practical Pathways for PV-Hydrogen Integration Revealed at SNEC 2025

(I) Technological Coupling and Innovative Breakthroughs

1. Dynamic Response Electrolysis System (a key technology featured at the exhibition)

The load adjustment speed of Siemens ENERGY SP system reaches 10% per second (compatible with minute-level fluctuations in PV power)

Sungrow showcased an off-grid hydrogen production power supply, maintaining stable energy consumption at 4.3 kWh/Nm³ under fluctuating conditions

2. New Engineering Solutions

China Energy Engineering Group released the "Three Innovations in Desert-based Hydrogen Production":

1. Fixed-mount brackets for sandy terrain (reducing costs by 40%)

2. Air-cooled electrolyzers (saving 95% of water)

3. Mobile liquefaction units (resolving transportation bottlenecks)

(II) Strategic Insights from Overseas Giants

TotalEnergies Launches "Solar-to-X" Initiative : Mandating that all new PV projects reserve interfaces for hydrogen production by 2027

Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power Signs Jilin Project at the Exhibition: 400 MW PV + 80 MW electrolyzer + 200,000 mt green ammonia plant, achieving full off-grid operation for the first time

IV. From the Exhibition Floor to the Battlefield: The Hydrogen Energy Transition Matrix of PV Enterprises

Comparison of Strategic Layouts Among Top-tier Enterprises:

V. Policy Trends and Market Tipping Points

New Global Policy Developments in 2025:

China Initiates "Hydrogen into Every Home 2.0" : Requiring new chemical parks to be equipped with 15% green hydrogen

EU Revises the Renewable Energy Directive: Allowing green hydrogen projects to be exempted from grid fees

US IRA Extension of Tax Credits: Up to $3 in subsidies per kg of green hydrogen

Critical Data Indicating the Approaching Tipping Point:

The "White Paper on the Economics of PV-Hydrogen Integration" released at the exhibition predicts: When the LCOE of PV drops to 0.25 yuan/kWh (expected by 2026), the cost of green hydrogen will fall below 15 yuan/kg (lower than coal-based hydrogen)

Conclusion: At the Crossroads of the Energy Revolution

SNEC 2025 has become a milestone in industrial transformation—when LONGi replaced its final new module product on display with a 2.5 MW electrolyzer, and when Trina Solar's technical personnel explained hydrogen refueling station parameters to the audience instead of module power, this once purely PV-focused event has transformed into a global roadshow platform for "PV-hydrogen integration."

After the exhibition concluded, an analyst from the International Energy Agency commented, "The Chinese PV contingent is creating a new paradigm: they are not just manufacturing components, but building cross-dimensional energy conversion hubs. Hydrogen energy has not only saved the PV industry but also reshaped the entire value chain of clean energy."

In this industrial transformation, PV enterprises that were the first to embrace hydrogen energy are evolving from survivors of the PV winter into definers of a new energy era. When sunlight is converted into hydrogen energy to power 10,000-mt-class vessels, humanity truly embarks on the journey of transitioning from the "photovoltaic era" to the "hydrogen energy civilization."