Tracking Green Hydrogen Projects: LONGi Hydrogen Energy's "Hydrogen Replacing Carbon" Blast Furnace Hydrogen-Rich Smelting Project Operates Continuously and Stably for One Year

Since its commissioning in September 2024, the industrial demonstration project of "300,000 m³/d green electricity electrolysis water hydrogen production - hydrogen storage - 450 m³ blast furnace hydrogen-rich smelting" by Xingguo Casting Industry in Changli, Hebei, has been running stably for one year.

LONGi Hydrogen provided two sets of 3000 Nm³/h ALK G series large-scale alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production systems and supporting facilities for the project, covering power supply, electrolyzers, gas-liquid separation, control, power distribution, and auxiliary systems. The system performed excellently in the project, with stable equipment operation and leading energy efficiency, fully verifying the reliability and economy of LONGi Hydrogen's large-scale water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment in continuous industrial operation scenarios.

This project is currently the largest single-unit hydrogen-producing alkaline electrolyzer system in operation in China, and it is also the first to achieve a full-chain integration of "green electricity hydrogen production - hydrogen storage - hydrogen-rich smelting," providing a scalable and replicable technological model for the low-carbon transformation of the steel industry.

Core Equipment: LONGi Hydrogen provided two sets of 3000 Nm³/h ALK G series large-scale alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production systems and supporting facilities, with stable equipment operation and leading energy efficiency.

Operational Performance: DC power consumption 4.25 kWh/Nm³ (reaching international advanced levels); the system operates smoothly at high current density (> 4000 A/m²); hydrogen production cost ≤ 14 yuan/kg, reducing the cost per ton of iron by 6-14 yuan.

Low-Carbon Benefits: Achieving full-chain process, injecting 136 Nm³ of hydrogen per ton of iron, solid fuel replacement ratio 0.36~1.0 kg/Nm³, reducing carbon emissions from blast furnace ironmaking by 7%~16%; oxygen-enriched air from by-product oxygen improves combustion efficiency and smelting quality.

Technical Highlights: The ALK G series produces 1200–3000 Nm³/h of hydrogen per cell, with 12% lower DC power consumption than the industry average; the large-scale single cell reduces land use by 30% and capital expenditure by 10%; the project team innovated transportation and installation plans, completing equipment delivery, commissioning, and operation ahead of schedule.

High Hydrogen Production Efficiency: The electrolyzer's DC power consumption is about 12% lower than the industry average, demonstrating leading energy efficiency.

Structural Innovation and Optimization: Overcoming technical bottlenecks of large-scale electrolyzers, achieving comprehensive breakthroughs in energy efficiency, structure, flow field, and manufacturing; the large-scale single cell can reduce equipment footprint by over 30% and lower capital expenditure by about 10%, setting a new benchmark in the hydrogen production equipment sector.

Excellent Project Execution: Facing the challenge of the largest single-unit hydrogen production and unprecedented volume and weight of equipment in China, the project team ensured safe and precise equipment delivery and installation through customized transportation and lifting solutions, innovative balanced beam lifting techniques, and rigorous foundation reinforcement and load testing.

These engineering innovations have accumulated replicable experience for the on-site implementation of large-scale electrolyzers and set new construction standards for the industry. In this project, LONGi's hydrogen equipment was the first to arrive on site, the first to complete commissioning, and the first to achieve stable operation, fully demonstrating the company's systematic capabilities and efficient collaboration in system design, manufacturing, and delivery execution. The project's performance received customer recognition, and a commendation letter was received, highly praising the equipment performance and project execution.

Industry Recognition and Future: In 2025, it won The Smarter E "Outstanding Project" Global Outstanding Project Award; validating the feasibility of industrial application of large-scale electrolyzers, it will promote the large-scale adoption of green hydrogen in fields such as metallurgy in the future, contributing to industrial decarbonization.