'The layout of China's hydrogen energy industry should strengthen top-level design, and introduce relevant policies from the national level to encourage and guide the entire hydrogen industry.' In an interview with a reporter from the China Energy News, he also suggested that the country should clearly define the strategic location of the hydrogen industry and plan ahead for key regional arrangements. The government should continue to provide direct support and improve the related policy security system.
China Energy News: Last month, China's hydrogen energy and fuel cell industry innovation strategic alliance was formally established in Beijing. As far as I know, as a source of energy, the use of hydrogen is also very wide. Why lock in fuel cell technology as a universal hydrogen energy? Core Technology?
Zou Lei: Hydrogen energy is a green, highly efficient secondary energy source. It has a high calorific value, abundant reserves, and diverse sources. It has a wide range of applications and many forms of utilization. It can generate heat energy through combustion and generate mechanical work in a heat engine. It can also be used as Energy materials are used in fuel cells to directly generate electrical energy, powering fuel cell vehicles and distributed generation facilities.
Fuel cells are the best tool for the efficient use of hydrogen energy. The fuel cell is an energy conversion device that converts the chemical energy of fuel (hydrogen) and oxidant (air) into electricity in an electrochemical reaction. This technological principle determines Fuel cell technology has the advantages of high energy conversion efficiency, quick startup, and cleanliness.
Fuel cells have multiple uses. They can also be used for distributed generation, emergency power backup, home cogeneration, etc., besides vehicles. They can even be used as a power source for deep sea transport tools and have a wide range of applications.
China Energy News: As you said, the application prospect of hydrogen energy is very broad. However, at present, China's hydrogen energy is very weak in terms of production, storage, transportation and hydrogenation infrastructure. What are your suggestions for accelerating the deployment of China's hydrogen energy industry?
Zou Lei: First of all, the layout of China's hydrogen energy industry should strengthen top-level design, and introduce relevant policies from the national level to encourage and guide the promotion of the entire hydrogen energy industry. It is recommended that the country support the research of hydrogen energy and fuel cell technologies and industrial development from the following four aspects.
The first is to clarify the strategic positioning of the hydrogen industry.
The second is to plan the layout of key areas ahead of schedule. Ensure that the regions and enterprises with truly advantageous conditions receive targeted and focused support.
Third, the government continues to provide direct support, including basic R&D investment, financial subsidies, support for key enterprises, and demonstration projects.
The fourth is to continuously improve the relevant policy security system. Ensure that hydrogen production and supply, vehicle R & D and manufacturing, infrastructure construction and operation can be carried out in an orderly manner.
Secondly, the hydrogen energy industry should be strengthened to promote the implementation of mutual cooperation between the units. The hydrogen energy industry chain is long and the funds for incitement are huge. It is impossible for a single or several companies to bear the burden. It is necessary to pass the industrial innovation alliance. And other ways to integrate quality resources, give full play to the strength of all companies, and jointly promote the development of hydrogen energy industry.
China Energy News: In the long-term development plan of Dongfang Electric, what kind of position does the hydrogen fuel cell occupy? What are the hydrogen-related businesses already started?
Zou Lei: Dongfang Electric started the research and development of fuel cell technology as early as 2010. It took eight years to concentrate on a large number of basic technical research and integrated technology research and development, and fully mastered the fuel cell membrane electrode, stack manufacturing and fuel cell engine. Integrating a number of key technologies, it has formed core technologies with independent intellectual property rights in fuel cell power, power generation, standby power and cogeneration applications.
In October 2017, our first hydrogen fuel cell bus successfully went offline; based on Dongfang's fuel cell bus, Sichuan Province started the hydrogen fuel cell and fuel cell bus demonstration project.
In order to promote the transformation and upgrading of enterprises and high-quality development, Dongfang Electric has included hydrogen energy and fuel cell industry in the group's "Thirteen Five-Year" focus on cultivating new industries.
China Energy News: Specific to hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles, what are the advantages of this technology model over hybrids and pure electric vehicles? How difficult is it to promote it?
Zou Lei: New energy vehicles have different types. Among them, fuel cell vehicles can not only achieve complete replacement of fuel, but also have short hydrogenation time, high conversion efficiency, long mileage, truly zero emissions, and diverse fuel sources and can be flexibly derived from The advantages of renewable energy are considered to be one of the important directions for the sustainable development of the automobile industry in the future. It is of far-reaching significance for improving the future energy structure and developing low-carbon transportation.
The cost, durability, infrastructure, and hydrogen energy industry chain of fuel cell vehicles are the global common bottlenecks faced by the promotion and application of fuel cell vehicles.
Fuel cell vehicles are involved in the interdisciplinary fields of machinery, chemistry, materials, and electrical control. They are in the stage of transition from technological research and development to commercialization. Countries attach great importance to this technology and continue to increase investment. Countries are all committed to it. In order to gradually improve performance and reduce costs to speed up the promotion and application.
The promotion and application of fuel cell vehicles have high requirements for the preparation, storage, transportation, and application of hydrogen. In order to achieve large-scale promotion of fuel cell vehicles, in addition to hydrogenation, there must also be 'hydrogen production - hydrogen transport - storage Hydrogen - with hydrogen's complete industrial chain of complete facilities.
The core of the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles is the progress of key technologies.
The first is the research and development of basic technologies, including the research of fuel cell core materials and fuel cell process mechanisms.
The second is integrated technology research and development, including fuel cell power system integration technology and vehicle integration technology.
The third is the development of key components, including air compressors, humidifiers and other important components.
The fourth is infrastructure-related technologies, including low-cost, low-energy hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and hydrogen storage technology.