SinoHytec, Pengfei Group form cooperation on R&D, scale application of hydrogen fuel cell tech

Beijing (Gasgoo)-Recently, SinoHytec, a Chinese company engaging in R&D and industrialization of fuel cell engine systems, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Pengfei Group, an energy and chemical company in China, to jointly advance research, development, and large-scale application of hydrogen fuel cell technologies, according to a press release SinoHytec issued on August 18 via its WeChat account.

The partnership aims to foster resource sharing, leverage complementary strengths, and accelerate the high-quality development of the hydrogen industry in Lüliang, Shanxi Province, while supporting the city's ambition to become a "national hub for hydrogen-powered heavy truck manufacturing."  

Lüliang is uniquely positioned to develop hydrogen energy through a dual engine of "resources and application scenarios." Xiaoyi City, under Lüliang, boasts an annual coking capacity of 18.67 million tonnes, which produces 4.4 billion cubic meters of coke oven gas as a byproduct, enabling the low-cost production of 200,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year.

Pengfei Group has already established a full hydrogen supply chain spanning production, storage, transportation, refueling, and application, and operates a logistics fleet of 70,000 heavy-duty trucks that provide a large-scale application scenario for hydrogen vehicles.     

The cooperation will focus on scaling terminal applications, with an initial procurement of 100 hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks and 250 hydrogen-powered logistics vehicles. Those trucks will be deployed in raw material transport for the coking industry, while the light-duty trucks will serve urban cold chain logistics networks. SinoHytec will provide the core fuel cell system technologies, while Pengfei Group will construct a network of hydrogen refueling stations and a digital operations platform to jointly validate the economic viability and reliability of hydrogen vehicles.

SinoHytec Chairman Zhang Guoqiang stated that the company is committed to working with Pengfei Group and Lüliang local government to promote the development of Shanxi's hydrogen industry and build a demonstration zone for China's energy revolution. Looking ahead, SinoHytec plans to work with its partners to integrate the three pillars of "coking hydrogen resources, heavy truck manufacturing, and logistics financing" to create a "Lüliang model" that can be replicated nationwide.