Green Hydrogen from Black Coke: by Meijin in China
Here’s an article posted in English News
According to the article,
- A Chinese company, Meijin, led by Yao, has made a significant shift from traditional energy sources to modern, sustainable ones.
- The company’s transition reflects the global shift towards green energy.
- It demonstrates the potential for traditional energy companies to embrace sustainable practices.
Green hydrogen production from black coke, also known as coal-based hydrogen production, involves a series of chemical reactions aimed at extracting hydrogen from coal while minimizing carbon emissions. Meijin Energy Group, a prominent player in China’s energy sector, has been involved in research and development in this area. Here’s an outline of the process with relevant data points:
- Coal Gasification: The process begins with coal gasification, where coal (black coke) is reacted with steam and oxygen at high temperatures (typically 700-1100°C) and pressures to produce synthesis gas, or syngas, primarily composed of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO). Meijin’s coal gasification plants are designed to efficiently convert coal into syngas.
- Efficiency: Meijin’s gasification technology boasts high efficiency, with conversion rates typically exceeding 90%.
- Water-Gas Shift Reaction: The produced syngas contains carbon monoxide, which needs to be further processed to increase the hydrogen content. The water-gas shift reaction is employed, where steam reacts with carbon monoxide to produce additional hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
- Catalyst Efficiency: Meijin employs advanced catalysts to enhance the water-gas shift reaction, improving hydrogen yield while minimizing the formation of undesirable byproducts.
- Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) or Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): To reduce carbon emissions associated with coal-based hydrogen production, Meijin may implement carbon capture technologies. In CCU, captured carbon dioxide (CO2) can be utilized in various industrial processes or converted into valuable products. In CCS, CO2 is captured and stored underground to prevent its release into the atmosphere.
- Carbon Capture Rate: Meijin’s facilities aim for high carbon capture rates, capturing a significant portion of the CO2 produced during the process.
- Electrolysis of Water: In the final step, electrolysis is employed to separate hydrogen from water. This process involves passing an electric current through water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen.
- Energy Efficiency: Meijin focuses on optimizing the energy efficiency of electrolysis, utilizing renewable energy sources where feasible to power the process, thus ensuring the overall environmental sustainability of green hydrogen production.
- Hydrogen Purification: The produced hydrogen undergoes purification to remove any remaining impurities, ensuring high-purity hydrogen suitable for various industrial applications.
- Purity Standards: Meijin adheres to strict purity standards to meet the requirements of different end-users, such as the automotive industry, chemical manufacturers, and energy companies.
- Scaling and Commercialization: Meijin aims to scale up its green hydrogen production capacity and commercialize the technology to contribute to China’s energy transition and meet the growing demand for clean energy.
- Production Capacity: Meijin’s plants are designed for scalability, with plans to expand production capacity to meet market demand for green hydrogen.
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
China’s Green Hydrogen Market: A Mix of Technologies to Develop in the Coming Years – This article focuses on the future of China’s hydrogen market, indicating a development of various technologies in the coming years. China’s Hydrogen Rail Plans: A Clean Future for Locomotives – The post covers China’s initiative to convert locomotives to run on hydrogen power, a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Seawater-to-Hydrogen Technology by Researchers of China – Researchers in China have developed a device capable of directly splitting seawater to produce hydrogen fuel.
