Tracking Green Hydrogen Projects: China's First Offshore Hydrogen-Ammonia-Methanol Integrated Project Produces First Batch of Green Methanol

In October 2025, China's first offshore hydrogen-ammonia-methanol integrated project successfully produced its first batch of green methanol on an offshore platform in the waters of Yantai, Shandong, marking a major technological breakthrough in the in-situ conversion and comprehensive utilization of far-sea renewable energy, and providing a replicable practical model for the construction of offshore energy islands.

The project, jointly developed by National Energy Group Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd., and Guoneng Hydrogen Innovation Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., is the country's first marine new energy demonstration project covering the entire hydrogen energyproduction-storage-transportation-utilizationchain. Its core feature lies in complete independence from the terrestrial power grid, establishing an off-grid energy self-sufficient system through the integration of offshore wind and PV power generation systems, enabling self-sufficient production of clean energy products such as hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia. The project officially commenced construction in September 2024, completed its main structure on March 27, 2025, and entered the commissioning phase. The successful production of green methanol marks a key achievement in the commissioning work.

In terms of core technologies and equipment, the project demonstrated several independent innovation advantages. The methanol synthesis skid package, engineered and integrated by Shanghai Electric Group Guokong Universal Engineering Co., Ltd., adopts a highly integrated skid-mounted design, featuring efficient deployment, compact footprint, and the ability to withstand complex environments such as marine wind and wave impacts. The skid integrates the pure carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol technology jointly developed by Shanghai Boiler Works Co., Ltd. and East China University of Science and Technology, achieving a low synthesis pressure of 6.9 MPaG and a single-pass carbon dioxide conversion rate exceeding 80%, enabling efficient conversion of green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide into green methanol, significantly outperforming traditional process conditions. Simultaneously, the project also achieved a breakthrough in direct seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production, utilizing an alkaline-PEM hybrid electrolysis hydrogen production system with an electrolysis efficiency of 75%, achieving a stable production capacity of 5 mt of green hydrogen per day.

The core value of this project's commissioning lies in establishing a full-chain conversion path of "far-sea green electricity - green hydrogen - green methanol," effectively solving the industry challenge of the difficulty in long-distance transportation and low-cost consumption of far-sea renewable energy. The produced green methanol can not only serve as a clean fuel for 10,000-ton class ships (a single ship can meet 10 days of voyage requirements) but also as a low-carbon industrial raw material. It is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 36,000 mt annually, equivalent to planting 2 million trees. As the initial demonstration platform for National Energy Group's "three-step" strategy for offshore hydrogen energy development, the project also filled a standard gap in China's offshore hydrogen production field, laying a technical foundation for the subsequent construction of a 100-ton level methanol production base in Yancheng by 2028 and a 1,000-ton level green fuel center in the South China Sea after 2030, contributing to China's goal of building 10 "offshore energy islands" by 2035.