Hywin brings LOHC solutions to the "Ninth China Energy Development and Innovation Forum"

On April 19th, the "Ninth China Energy Development and Innovation Forum" hosted by the China Industrial Development Promotion Association was grandly held in Beijing. Wang Yin, Vice-general Manager of Beijing Hywin Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd. (Abbreviated as "Hywin"), delivered a keynote speech, sharing how   LOHC which is intrinsically safe can assist integrated green hydrogen chemical projects under the current large-scale development of green hydrogen projects. During the conference, the "Technical Specification for Evaluating the Production of Renewable Ammonia through Water Electrolysis" was officially released, with Hywin attending the release ceremony as a participating unit.

In the integrated green hydrogen chemical project, the hydrogen storage link is the bridge and hub between the fluctuating solar power generation hydrogen production and the relatively stable chemical load. Hywin LOHC technology can effectively solve several challenges in the hydrogen storage design of integrated green hydrogen projects:

The safety management of large-scale hydrogen storage becomes a significant issue

When the gas storage capacity exceeds 5 tons, as it is then classified as a major hazardous source due to its flammable and explosive nature. The design, manufacturing, and operation of gaseous hydrogen storage tanks require extremely high standards for quality and management systems. Accidental events and human errors can also lead to safety risks, which may compound with the increase in scale. Therefore, intrinsic safety is an important direction for the development of hydrogen storage systems, and organic liquid hydrogen storage is an intrinsically safe solution for large-scale hydrogen storage. Hywin hydrogen storage liquids (including lean and rich hydrogen liquids) have a fire risk classification of Class B, can be stored at ambient temperature and pressure, and are safer than diesel, making them very suitable for large-scale and long-term hydrogen storage.

Hydrogen storage capacity limitation issue

In the GB-50177 "Design Code for Hydrogen Stations" released in November 2022, there is a lack of requirements for fire protection distances for hydrogen storage capacities exceeding 500,000 cubic meters. At the same time, there is widespread regulatory approval pressure for ultra-large-scale gaseous hydrogen storage, which makes it difficult for some projects to achieve optimal hydrogen storage capacities, affecting the economic viability of the projects and possibly even the continuity of chemical operations. LOHC can convert hydrogen into safe chemicals, managed as Class B propylene substances, thus significantly increasing hydrogen storage capacity and making it easier to obtain regulatory approval.

>> Typical application mode:LOHC used in conjunction with spherical tanks

In practical applications, LOHC is very suitable for use with spherical tanks. Among them, gaseous hydrogen storage spherical tanks are responsible for short-term fluctuation smoothing, while organic liquid hydrogen storage is responsible for long-term deep adjustment to cope with prolonged periods of insufficient wind and solar power generation, maintaining the continuous operation of the system and reducing the use of off-grid electricity.

Due to interannual variations in meteorological conditions and the unpredictability of wind and solar power output, a larger hydrogen storage capacity may be required during actual operation compared to the planning stage. The LOHC system can quickly and cost-effectively increase storage capacity by adding more hydrogen storage liquid to meet operational needs. On the other hand, when there is excess green hydrogen that needs to be transported out, the LOHC system, due to its high hydrogen storage density and inherent safety, can use ordinary tank trucks for long-distance transportation, significantly reducing transportation costs and expanding the sales radius of hydrogen to hundreds of kilometers.

>> The technical maturity has been verified

Hywin has mastered proprietary carrier synthesis technology, catalyst technology, and engineering process technology in the field of organic liquid hydrogen storage. The relevant technological achievements have received evaluations of "international leading" and "internationally advanced" from the Chemical Industry Federation. Hywin completed the construction of an organic liquid hydrogen storage facility in Baicheng, Jilin, and successfully operated it in October 2023, marking the industrial verification of large-scale LOHC technology.

Image of the LOHC facility for the green hydrogen project in Baicheng, Jilin