(15 March 2024, Hong Kong) – CIMC Enric Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively, "CIMC Enric" or "Company") (stock code: 3899.HK) are pleased to release the recent commencement of construction in Fuyang, Anhui, for the first domestic commercial liquid hydrogen spherical tank, designed and developed by its subsidiary Zhangjiagang CIMC Sanctum Cryogenic Equipment Co., Ltd. ("CIMC Sanctum"). The milestone project marks another crucial advancement by CIMC Enric in the field of liquid hydrogen storage and transportation equipment, solidifying a robust foundation for the rapid development of the hydrogen energy industry in China.
Liquid hydrogen storage and transport technology is one of the key strategic technologies essential for national competition on a global scale, which constitutes a challenging "bottleneck" in the strategic emerging industries. Due to the extremely low boiling point of liquid hydrogen, storage solutions demand high reliability of equipment. The commercialization of the liquid hydrogen spherical tank has been a long-awaited key project in China. Therefore, the successful development of the first commercial liquid hydrogen tank represents a milestone achievement with profound societal significance.
Launch ceremony for China's first commercial liquid hydrogen spherical tank by CIMC Sanctum
It is reported that the liquid hydrogen spherical tank of this project is a double-walled vacuum spherical vessel with a total volume of 400 cubic meters, capable of holding over 25 tons of liquid hydrogen. It is one of the pivotal pieces of equipment for the "Key Equipment and Safety Research on Liquid Hydrogen Production, Storage, Transportation, and Refueling" project under the National Key R&D Plan of "Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Energy Technologies". Due to the properties of liquid hydrogen—ultra-low temperature, ease of vaporization, and strong permeability and diffusivity, the demands on storage and transport equipment are exceedingly high. To ensure the smooth commencement of China's first liquid hydrogen spherical tank, CIMC Enric has successively overcome multiple technical challenges, including material selection in ultra-low temperature zones, ultra-low temperature welding, structural and insulation design for large temperature differentials, insulation material wrapping under challenging on-site conditions, and high vacuum acquisition and long-term maintenance.
Compared to manufacturing the liquid hydrogen stationary vacuum storage tank in a factory, constructing the liquid hydrogen spherical tank on the site enables easier scaling up of volume. This reduces the number of storage containers required at a site, lowers overall construction costs, and offers advantages such as large storage capacity and high storage efficiency. These tanks can meet the demands for large-scale liquid hydrogen storage and supply, serving various applications in liquid hydrogen plants, large-scale liquid hydrogen storage stations, aerospace launch sites, and maritime transportation, as well as catering to customers in the energy industry, chemical synthesis, and metallurgy. Therefore, the commercial liquid hydrogen spherical tank is indispensable core equipment for achieving large-scale hydrogen storage and supply, which also plays a crucial role in the large-scale commercial hydrogen industry chain.
Previously, CIMC Enric, with its exceptional technical capacity and innovative spirit, successfully passed the conformity review of the first national "Vacuum Insulated Liquid Hydrogen Spherical Storage Tank" enterprise standard and the liquid hydrogen spherical tank product design scheme, which was approved by the Cryogenic Vessel Sub-Technical Committee of the China Standardization Committee on Boilers and Pressure Vessels. CIMC Enric has become the first enterprise to receive this honor, establishing a strong foundation for the smooth progress of the commercial liquid hydrogen spherical tank project.
With the increasing global demand for clean energy, hydrogen energy has seen its application scope broadening as an efficient, eco-friendly, and renewable resource. Countries around the world all attach great importance to the development of hydrogen energy. Developed countries such as the U.S., Japan, and countries in Europe, have set forth long-term hydrogen energy development plans and achieved breakthroughs in technologies such as hydrogen production, storage, transportation, refueling, and fuel cells. In recent years, China has actively advanced its hydrogen energy development plan. It has issued the "Medium and Long-term Plan for the Development of Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)" and incorporated hydrogen energy into the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, promoting technological innovation within the hydrogen energy sector to aid in achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality.
Mr. Yang Xiaohu, President and Executive Director of CIMC Enric, stated, "Looking ahead, CIMC Enric will leverage its industry-leading R&D platform and exceptional R&D team to persist in exploring liquid hydrogen products and other critical links in the hydrogen energy sector. We aim to accelerate the commercialization of liquid hydrogen and the business operations across the whole value chain. Meanwhile, we will integrate resources within and beyond the hydrogen energy industry chain to collaborate on developing more hydrogen energy application scenarios, thereby supporting the comprehensive growth of the hydrogen energy industry and the early realization of China's dual-carbon goals."
