Hydrogen station investment and Engineering Center cooperation agreements signed in Shanghai

This archived announcement has been translated automatically from Chinese. Names and technical wording may require editorial verification. Original artwork is preserved where applicable.

On 28 June 2016, Sunwise, Shanghai Motor Services Ltd., Lindh Group and Shanghai Science and Technology Investment Company Ltd. signed a cooperative agreement on the investment operation of a hydrogen plant at Anting Autonomy Port, while Sunwise signed a joint agreement with Tongji University, Shanghai International Automobile Group Ltd. on the construction of the Shanghai Hydrogen Energy Utilization Technology Research Centre, attended and witnessed the signing ceremony by relevant leaders and company guests, such as the Shanghai Municipal Development Commission, the City Economic and Social Information Council, the City Science Commission and the Shanghai Centre for the Conversion and Promotion of New Energy Technology Results.

While the fuel cell car industry is about to open the door to commercialization, there has been an ongoing debate in the industry about the development of hydrogen and hydrogen-fuel cell cars, with a mutual belief that the key to industrial development lies in each other's development. As a result of a better understanding of industry and a consensus on upstream and downstream cooperation, a number of industrial alliances have begun to emerge from abroad, such as H2USA in the United States and H2Mobility in Germany, which have begun to invest gradually in the construction of a network of hydrogen plants to foster the market.

Over the past year, with the support of local governments, an increasing number of businesses have been involved in the fuel cell automobile industry, accelerating the development of the domestic fuel cell car industry. Shanghai was one of the first cities to carry out research and development in hydrogen energy and fuel cell car technology, with the leading fuel cell vehicle core technology, rich hydrogen gas resources, a relatively well-developed industrial base and a wealth of demonstrated operational experience, and good conditions for continuing to lead the development of the fuel cell vehicle.

As a result, during the forthcoming start of the commercialization of the fuel cell industry, Sunwise, Lindh, Sunwisse, Mob and Quasi Investment Schemes have been proactive and pro-active in overcoming the plight of `Chicks and Eggs' by planning the formation of a specialized investment operation for hydrogen plants, integrating hydrogen gas, upstream and downstream technologies, equipment and financial resources, building a network of hydrogen stations in Shanghai, uniting the operation of new energy vehicles, and attracting the national fuel cell vehicle to demonstrate the operation of a fuel cell vehicle in Shanghai. The development of industry has been substantially facilitated by the continued operation of hydrogen-filling stations and vehicles, the early identification and resolution of problems in the industrialization process, and the gradual establishment of a good commercial model for combined vehicle-station transport. The joint venture plans to construct five hydrogen-added stations in Shanghai by 2020 and to provide hydrogen-filling services for 400 fuel-cell passenger vehicles, with relevant hydrogen-filling sites and preparations already under way.

The Shanghai Research Centre for Hydrogen Energy Use (hereinafter referred to as “the Centre”) was established on the basis of Sunwise and approved by the Shanghai City Commission for Engineering Technology. Shanghai Sunwise, Tongji University and the International Automobile City signed a joint construction agreement with the Shanghai Hydrogen Energy Engineering Research Centre, which, in accordance with the construction requirements of the Shanghai Engineering and Technology Research Centre, will be built as an important public service platform for research and development and cooperation on hydrogen energy technologies in Shanghai, an important driver of technological industrialization, an important developer of industrial policies and standards, an important carrier of industrial alliances, and an important base for hydrogen energy education and training.

At the signing ceremony, Mr. Yong Wei, General Manager of the Shanghai International Automobile City Group Ltd., made a statement in which he thanked the guests for their arrival and expressed, on behalf of the International Automobile City, his strong support for the cooperation on the heating station. Tongji University, Assistant Principal and Dean of the Automotive Academy, Yu Zhuo Ping, presented trends in the development of the fuel cell car, arguing that the commercialization of the fuel cell vehicle had begun. The Director of Liu Wenbo, the Centre for the Transfer and Promotion of New Energy Technology in Shanghai, said that Shanghai was strongly supporting the development of fuel cell cars, promoting the Centre's willingness to listen to the needs of businesses, to advise the Government and to support the development of the Hydrogen Stations Corporation, and looking forward to its early realization. The Director of the Energy Department of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Rehabilitation Commission congratulated the agreement on its signing, and the Commission was also following up on the development of the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, which would be followed by strong support for the development of the Hydrogen Power Stations Corporation and the requirement to ensure safety.

English edition of the original Chinese page. Historical statements, dates and figures are retained as published.