Sinopec starts up Xinjiang mega pilot project

Chinese oil and petrochemicals group says solar-powered green hydrogen facility is largest of its type in the world

Chinese state-controlled oil and petrochemicals group Sinopec has started up a 260MW solar-powered green hydrogen pilot plant in the country’s far western region of Xinjiang, in what it claims to be the world’s largest project of its type. The RMB3bn ($415mn) plant, which uses 260MW of alkaline electrolyser technology, has a production capacity of 20,000t/yr—equal to 10–20pc of the 100,000–200,000t/yr China wants to produce by 2025 under its first national hydrogen strategy. “The official operation of the plant, which harnesses solar energy to generate green hydrogen, marks a major stride forward in Sinopec's technological exploration to produce clean hydrogen as it empowers the country to t