As part of an agreement signed with Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone in 2023, industrial gases provider Air Liquide is investing RMB145m (US$20.1m) to build, own and operate the hydrogen filling center designed to support the development of hydrogen ecosystem in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jingjinji) Region.
Hydrogen is an important part of China's national energy and industrial strategy. In its 'Medium and Long-term Plan for the Development of Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)', it aims to deploy 50,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCV) by 2025.
As one of the five fuel cell vehicle demonstration city clusters, Tianjin plans to build at least 10 hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) and deploy 2,000 fuel cell vehicles by 2025. Through its investment, Air Liquide says it contributes to supporting decarbonization initiatives in China, as part of the country's carbon neutrality goals.
A hydrogen filling center is a conditioning unit in which gaseous hydrogen received by pipeline is compressed in order to transport it using tube trailer trucks to either hydrogen refueling station (HRS) or industrial customers. Air Liquide's new center will have a filling capacity of 8 tonnes per day and is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.
Rui Coelho, CEO of Air Liquide China, said: "Hydrogen is a key vector to accelerate the energy transition. With 60 years of expertise in the hydrogen value chain, Air Liquide is pleased to partner with the Tianjin Government to lead the hydrogen upstream deployment in Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone. We will leverage our technological knowhow and operations experience, and actively cooperate with local authorities, energy players and fleet operators to contribute to decarbonizing mobility and creating a more sustainable future."
Air Liquide China enjoys a leading position in the industrial gas market of the Jingjinji region, including hydrogen where it already operates two hydrogen filling centers with a total capacity of 4.2 tonnes per day to support glass-making, optical fiber, metallurgy and electronics customers. The new filling center will leverage hydrogen with low carbon footprint to supply compressed hydrogen to Hydrogen Refueling Stations (HRS) in the region and also to industrial customers.
A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 73 countries with approximately 67,100 employees and serves more than 3.9 million customers and patients.
