氢能与核聚变日报：中石化武汉2.75GW电解槽基地开工Hydrogen and Fusion Daily: Sinopec's 2.75 GW Wuhan Electrolyzer Base Breaks Ground

[Green Fuel International Business Network] has learned that hydrogen equipment manufacturing and fusion industrialization saw a dense cluster of new developments in July. On July 22, the Sinopec Digital-Intelligent Hydrogen Machinery Innovation Park broke ground in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone, planning an annual output of 1 GW of PEM electrolyzers, 1.75 GW of alkaline electrolyzers and hundreds of hydrogen compressor units, filling the gap in GW-level electrolyzer manufacturing in Central China. The project is expected to roll out its first batch of equipment between the end of 2027 and early 2028.

The base's spillover effect is significant. Leveraging Wuhan's location, logistics costs within a 500-kilometer radius can drop by 30% to 50%, helping reduce equipment procurement and O&M costs for green hydrogen projects in Central China. Sinopec's move marks a substantive positioning by a traditional central state-owned energy enterprise in the hydrogen equipment link, and also echoes the need to implement the "hydrogen + chemicals" integrated business format.

Private fusion financing is accelerating in tandem. During the Shanghai Nuclear Energy Conference from July 22 to 24, four fusion companies—Fusion New Energy, Startorus Fusion, Energy Singularity and Nova Fusion—were included in the Rongzhong POWER50 list; ENN Fusion completed a Pre-A round with a post-investment valuation of RMB 10.6 billion, Startorus Fusion raised RMB 1 billion in Series A and Nova Fusion RMB 1.2 billion in an angel round, as private capital shifts from research investment to the engineering stage.

Application scenarios continue to expand. China Hydrogen Energy Group recently released a new-generation hydrogen-powered driverless urban logistics vehicle, equipped with L4 autonomous driving. Refueling in 3 minutes provides a range of more than 300 kilometers; it has received purchase intentions for 5,000 units cumulatively, and the first 100 units are about to roll off the line, marking the entry of domestically produced hydrogen-powered unmanned delivery vehicles into the stage of commercial, large-scale application and opening a breakthrough for fuel cell vehicles in closed scenarios.

Regional coordination is advancing rapidly. On July 22, Huang Ye, Party Secretary of Shaanxi Hydrogen Energy, and Zhang Xu, General Manager of State Grid Yulin Power Supply Company, held talks on grid access, green power direct connection and power purchase and sale optimization, establishing a regular communication mechanism; on June 23, Shanxi held a full hydrogen value chain matchmaking meeting in Beijing. The province has built 26 hydrogen refueling stations and promoted 1,286 fuel cell vehicles, with 31 enterprises gathered across the industrial chain.

The path to cost reduction through technology is clear. Jiangsu recently released the list of the first 39 provincial key laboratories under preparation, and the "Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of High-Temperature Hydrogen Production and Green Ammonia-Methanol Synthesis (under preparation)" led by Nanjing TICA is included as the only representative in the province's green hydrogen track. Its SOEC high-temperature hydrogen production efficiency is 20% to 30% higher than conventional methods and is expected to bring the cost of green hydrogen down to RMB 10/kg.

At the policy level, there is resonance. Anhui's hydrogen weekly report shows that the National Energy Administration has defined a pattern of 41 hydrogen pilot projects plus 9 regions; the "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a New-Type Energy System" includes hydrogen for the first time and anchors a target of 2 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030; CCTV focused for two consecutive days on Anhui's efforts to build a core hydrogen carrying zone in the Yangtze River Delta, and Changfeng County's "dual pilot" energy revolution received recognition.