Air Products to launch 30 tonnes per day liquid hydrogen plant in China in 2022

BEIJING, Nov 10 (Reuters): New York-listed Air Products, the world's largest hydrogen producer, is expected to launch a 30 tonnes per day liquid hydrogen production plant in eastern China in 2022.

The project, based in Haiyan county in Zhejiang province, would be the first large-sized commercial liquid hydrogen plant in China and the largest of its kind in Asia, told the company on Tuesday.

With total investment of $1.0 billion, Air Products also plans to set up production lines for key hydrogen equipments at the Haiyan plant, which started construction in June.

China, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, since 2015 listed hydrogen as one of the key technologies among the country's national manufacturing upgrade plan and recognised hydrogen as an energy source in a national law for the first time in early 2020.

According to data from China's Green Belt and Road Initiative Centre, a Beijing-based think tank, China produces more than 20 million tonnes of hydrogen annually, mostly coming from coal, and accounting for one third of the world's total production.

China is expected to accelerate development of its hydrogen industry following President Xi Jinping's vow to steer the country towards "carbon neutrality" by 2060.

Air Products also a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Jiutai Group, a chemical producer based in Inner Mongolia, to set up a joint venture to produce high-purity hydrogen and liquid hydrogen basing on Jiutai's existing coal-to-syngas facilities, according to a statement posted by Jiutai on Friday.