On March 1, 2025, a day worth remembering, China's self-developed "Hydrogen Teng" fuel cell successfully generated electricity at Qinling Station in Antarctica, realizing the application of hydrogen energy technology in the Antarctic environment for the first time in the world. This is not only a major breakthrough in China's hydrogen energy technology, but also an important milestone in the global energy transition process.
Technological breakthrough: How can hydrogen conquer the extreme environment of Antarctica?
Extreme challenges in Antarctica
Antarctica is known for its extreme climatic conditions such as extreme cold, high wind speeds, and strong radiation. Qinling Station is located at 74°56′ south latitude and 163°42′ east longitude, and is located in one of the harshest climate regions of Antarctica, with an average annual temperature of -10°C to -60°C and a maximum wind speed of up to 100 m/s。These extreme conditions pose a severe challenge to traditional energy supply methods, such as high transportation costs and easy solidification at low temperatures, while wind and solar energy fluctuate greatly due to the influence of weather. Therefore, how to provide a stable, efficient and sustainable energy supply in such a harsh environment is a common problem faced by scientific research stations around the world.
With its zero emission, high energy density and good low-temperature adaptability, the "Hydrogen Teng" fuel cell has become an ideal energy solution for Qinling Station. Its system design breaks through the technical bottlenecks such as low-temperature hydrogen storage, low-temperature start-up of fuel cells and long-term stable operation, and lays a solid foundation for the application of hydrogen energy in extreme environments in the future.
Figure: China's self-developed "Hydrogen Teng" fuel cell successfully generated electricity at Qinling Station in Antarctica
Key technological breakthroughs in "hydrogen energy" fuel cells
The successful application of this is inseparable from the innovation of "Hydrogen Teng" fuel cell in multiple technical fields
Extreme cryogenic hydrogen storage and hydrogen supply technology
1. The use of high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks, with a maximum hydrogen storage capacity of 50 cubic meters, can maintain efficient storage and transportation in the extreme cold conditions of Antarctica.
2. The cryogenic catalyst optimizes the hydrogen reaction efficiency and enables fast start-up even at -60°C.
Efficient power generation and heat supply integrated design
1. The power generation efficiency is as high as 50%, combined with the utilization of waste heat, the comprehensive heat and power efficiency exceeds 90%, ensuring the power supply and heating needs of the scientific research station.
2. When wind and solar energy are insufficient, fuel cells alone can be used to generate electricity for 24 days with a maximum power of 30 kW.
Smart Microgrid and Energy Dispatch Optimization
1. When the wind and solar conditions are good, the surplus electricity is used to produce and store hydrogen, and when the power is insufficient, it is generated by fuel cells to achieve intelligent control.
2. Fuel cells can be seamlessly connected to the microgrid system, and can be jointly optimized with wind and solar energy storage to improve the overall energy utilization efficiency.
Reliability & Life Optimization
1. With a design life of up to 40,000 hours, it is designed to withstand the long-term, high-load operation demands of extreme environments.
2. The equipment has undergone severe low temperature tests in Tianjin, Inner Mongolia and other places to ensure its stability in the Antarctic environment.
Hydrogen-electric coupling: to create a polar "wind-solar-hydrogen-storage-load" multi-energy complementary system
The success of the "Hydrogen Teng" fuel cell is not only a breakthrough in a single equipment, but also reflects the advantages of the "wind-solar-hydrogen-storage-load" multi-energy complementary energy supply system. The system realizes the efficient integration and intelligent regulation of renewable energy, and provides a demonstration for the use of clean energy in extreme environments.
Wind and solar complementarity to improve energy stability
In Antarctica, where wind and solar are strong but light is limited, the complementarity of wind and solar energy is fully utilized:
1. Daytime: photovoltaic power generation is the mainstay, wind power supplements the energy supply, and the excess electricity is used for hydrogen production by electrolysis of water.
2. Night or extreme weather: Wind power is the mainstay, and hydrogen storage fuel cells are used as backup power sources to ensure stable energy supply.
Hydrogen energy storage to optimize energy scheduling
Compared with traditional battery energy storage, hydrogen energy storage has the advantages of high energy density, long-term storage, and zero attenuation:
1. When there is a surplus of wind and solar power generation, hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water, and the electrical energy is converted into chemical energy for storage.
2. When electricity consumption peaks or wind and solar power are insufficient, fuel cells release hydrogen and convert it into electricity to achieve energy balance.
Combined heat and power to improve overall efficiency
Fuel cells generate electricity while releasing waste heat, and the system improves overall energy efficiency through heat recovery technology:
1. The waste heat is used for heating the scientific research station, reducing heating energy consumption and improving the overall energy utilization rate.
2. The comprehensive energy efficiency is over 90%, which is much higher than the 30% of traditional diesel power generation.
Global Perspective: How Can Hydrogen Contribute to the Energy Transition?
China's hydrogen energy policy is being accelerated
In recent years, China has made remarkable progress in the layout of the hydrogen energy industry chain:
1. In November 2024, the Energy Law of the People's Republic of China officially incorporated hydrogen energy into the energy management system to promote the market-oriented development of hydrogen energy.
2. The National Energy Administration plans to build a world-leading hydrogen energy industry system by 2035 to promote the production and application of green hydrogen.
3. The implementation of domestic demonstration projects has been accelerated, such as the 10,000-ton photovoltaic green hydrogen project in Kuqa, Xinjiang, and the 30,000-ton green hydrogen base in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, to help the large-scale development of hydrogen energy.
Global hydrogen competition intensifies
Countries around the world are accelerating the layout of the hydrogen energy industry:
1. Japan: Toyota, Honda and other companies have launched high-efficiency fuel cell technologies to promote the development of hydrogen transportation.
2. EU: Released the Hydrogen Strategy, which plans to build 40GW of green hydrogen electrolyzer capacity by 2030.
3. U.S.: Launched an $8 billion Hydrogen Hub Program to support hydrogen infrastructure.
In the global hydrogen energy race, China is taking the lead by virtue of policy coherence, technology cost reduction speed, and regional cluster advantages. The success of the application of hydrogen energy in Antarctica not only demonstrates China's technical strength, but also provides new ideas for the development of the global hydrogen energy industry.
Future prospects: Broad application prospects of hydrogen energy technology
The successful application of "Hydrogen Teng" fuel cell in Antarctica has laid the foundation for the promotion of hydrogen energy technology in extreme environments, remote areas and aerospace fields in the future
1. Deep space exploration: Hydrogen can be used as a key energy solution for spacecraft, lunar bases, and Mars exploration missions.
2. Marine applications: Island microgrids and deep-sea research stations can learn from the Antarctic energy supply model to improve energy self-sufficiency.
3. Energy supply in alpine regions: Hydrogen energy technology can be used in scenarios such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and polar scientific expeditions to improve the supply capacity of clean energy.
With the reduction of the cost of hydrogen production, the extension of the life of fuel cells, and the optimization of storage and transportation technology, hydrogen energy will occupy a more important position in the global energy system. As a pioneer in hydrogen energy technology, China will continue to lead the development of the hydrogen energy industry in terms of technology research and development, market promotion, and international cooperation in the future.
Conclusion
The successful application of "Hydrogen Teng" fuel cell in Qinling Station in Antarctica marks a breakthrough in China's hydrogen energy technology in extreme environments. This not only gives China the first opportunity in the global hydrogen energy industry competition, but also provides new hope for the world's energy transition. In the future, hydrogen energy will play a more important role in the global energy system, helping to build a clean, efficient and sustainable energy future.
