Tracking Green Hydrogen Projects—EPC General Contracting Tender for Green Hydrogen Project in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province

On September 19, the EPC general contracting tender for the hydrogen production part of the Zhangjiakou Wind-Hydrogen Integrated Generation-Grid-Load-Storage Comprehensive Demonstration Project (Phase I) was launched, marking the entry of this comprehensive demonstration project, aimed at building a "green electricity-green hydrogen-hydrogen storage-power generation" closed loop, into the substantive construction phase. Located in the core area of the "National Renewable Energy Demonstration Zone" in Zhangbei County, the uniqueness of the project lies not in the single production of green hydrogen but in focusing on constructing a complete hydrogen "generation-grid-load-storage" microgrid system to provide flexible solutions for the new-type power system.

Core Indicators and Features of the Project:

System Integration and Functional Closed Loop: The core of the project is to achieve the spatiotemporal transfer and efficient utilization of energy. It plans to construct a 16,000 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen production system, equipped with a 8,000 Nm³ hydrogen storage system, and ultimately convert hydrogen back into electricity through a 40 MW hydrogen fuel cell power generation system. This forms a complete technological closed loop of "renewable energy hydrogen production → hydrogen storage → hydrogen power generation," effectively addressing the intermittency and volatility issues of wind and PV, achieving peak shaving and valley filling.

Scale and Composition: Although the hydrogen production scale (approximately an annual capacity of 11,500 mt) is smaller than that of the previous two projects, its 40 MW fuel cell power generation scale is at the leading level among domestic demonstration projects, highlighting the project's emphasis on hydrogen as both a large-scale long duration energy storage medium and a flexible power supply. The construction content covers all functional facilities from production, storage, to power generation and office, forming a fully functional independent hydrogen park.

Construction Period and Efficiency: The planned construction period is only 300 days, requiring the EPC general contractor to have strong integration capabilities and rapid execution ability, also reflecting the project owner's urgent desire to complete the project quickly and demonstrate its effects.

Regional Strategic Significance and Demonstration Value:

As a project located in Zhangjiakou, the "Pioneer Area for China's Green Hydrogen Industry Development," its demonstration significance far exceeds the economic value of the project itself:

Providing a Model for High-Proportion New Energy Consumption: Zhangbei region is rich in wind energy resources, but curtailment of wind power and power rationing were once challenges. This project, by using hydrogen storage, converts green electricity that cannot be immediately consumed into stored green hydrogen, which can then be used for power generation when the grid needs it, providing a "Zhangjiakou solution" to the energy consumption challenges faced by high-proportion renewable energy regions across the country.

Exploring the Role of Hydrogen Energy Storage in New-Type Power Systems: The project directly addresses the core challenge of new-type power systems—insufficient flexibility resources. It demonstrates that hydrogen energy can serve as an effective means for large-scale, long-duration (daily and seasonal) energy storage, with its 40-megawatt power generation capacity holding potential for participation in grid peak shaving and frequency regulation.

Accelerating Technological Validation Across the Entire Hydrogen Industry Chain: The project integrates multiple segments, including hydrogen production, storage, and power generation, providing an ideal testing ground for performance evaluation of related equipment, system matching optimization, and business model exploration. It will vigorously drive the maturation of hydrogen energy technologies and cost reduction.