Recently, the first anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis hydrogen production system independently developed by China Huaneng Group successfully completed a 72-hour continuous full-load trial operation. It marked the first engineering application in China for hydrogen cooling scenarios in generators, signifying a major breakthrough in the field of next-generation hydrogen production technology.
This AEM water electrolysis hydrogen production system was jointly developed by China Huaneng Yimin Coal and Electricity Co., Ltd. and the Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute. The project commenced implementation in July 2024 and was validated through application at the Yimin Power Plant. During the R&D process, the system overcame key technologies such as multi-scale structural control of membrane electrodes and precision design and assembly of electrolyzers. Furthermore, it was the first time a fully localized Ruivo programmable logic controller (PLC) was applied to a water electrolysis hydrogen production system, giving it significant advantages including high integration and strong dynamic response capability.
Performance data indicate that under typical operating conditions of 5,000 amperes per square meter, the system's hydrogen production energy consumption reached 3.97 kWh per standard cubic meter, which is more than 10% lower than traditional technologies. Additionally, the system can achieve continuous dynamic regulation within a wide power range of 5% to 125%. The commissioning of this project signifies that Huaneng has mastered the entire technology chain from "materials-components-stacks-system." This will effectively help resolve "bottleneck" issues related to materials, components, and control systems in next-generation hydrogen production technology, providing crucial technical support for the high-quality development of China's hydrogen energy industry.
