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In the Class 10000 dust-free workshop, the automated production line runs non-stop, with thin black films as thin as newspapers shuttling back and forth, assembling, packaging, and ready to go.
▲In the clean room of Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric Technology Co., Ltd., staff are conducting a visual inspection of MEA membrane electrode products.
On the afternoon of August 29th, the factory area of Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric") was bustling with activity. We mainly produce membrane electrodes to achieve localization of core components of hydrogen fuel cells, "said Tian Mingxing, General Manager of Hydrogen Power at Wuhan University of Technology.
A small piece of film, changing the big world.
Membrane electrode is the core component of fuel cells, known as the "chip" of hydrogen fuel cells. It is the reaction site for converting hydrogen energy into electrical energy in the fuel cell stack, and its cost accounts for more than 60% of the fuel cell stack. Its performance directly determines the application performance of hydrogen fuel cells. For a long time, the mass production and preparation technology of new membrane electrodes has been monopolized by related enterprises such as the United States and Japan. China relies almost entirely on imports in this field, which is expensive and has a long supply cycle, becoming a bottleneck restricting the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cells.
Wuhan Institute of Technology breaks foreign monopoly in hydrogen electricity: its independently developed CCM membrane electrode has increased its service life to 20000 hours, and the amount of precious metal platinum used per square centimeter has decreased from 0.8 milligrams to 0.28 milligrams.
This greatly reduces the production cost of fuel cell stacks and provides strong support for the large-scale commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, "said Tian Mingxing.
▲The staff in the dust-free workshop of Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric Technology Co., Ltd. are producing membrane electrode products.
In 2019, the Wuhan Institute of Technology hydrogen electric CCM membrane electrode production line was built and put into operation in Wuhan Economic Development Zone, which is the first automated production line for fuel cell membrane electrodes in China. Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric, which has mastered key core technologies, has become one of the top membrane electrode suppliers in the world, with products exported to more than 10 countries and regions. Thanks to its export business, the company's revenue grew rapidly and exceeded 100 million yuan that year.
In addition to maintaining a leading position in the field of fuel cell membrane electrodes, Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric is also constantly advancing towards the upstream hydrogen production field. Due to its independently developed PEM electrolysis water hydrogen production membrane electrode, it has overcome the key technology of green electricity to produce green hydrogen, leading the domestic industry. Since small-scale production in 2021, it has supplied to multiple PEM electrolysis water hydrogen production equipment enterprises in China and exported to the European market.
▲Wuhan Institute of Technology hydrogen power workers operate on membrane electrode automation production line
In October 2023, China's first hydrogen powered ship, "Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat 1," successfully made its maiden voyage in Yichang. The core component of the hydrogen fuel cell carried by the ship, the membrane electrode, comes from Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric; The hydrogen production station on the shore adopts electrolytic water hydrogen production equipment, and its core component PEM electrolytic water hydrogen production membrane electrode also comes from Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen Electric!
Han made membrane electrodes, supporting more and more "hydrogen boats", quietly sail through mountains of thousands.
It is reported that the company's membrane electrode products are applied in commercial vehicles, ships, drones and other fields, and provide technical support for related projects such as the Three Gorges Project and aerospace engineering. About 30% of the products are exported to countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
▲The "CCM" membrane electrode independently developed by Professor Pan Mu's team at Wuhan University of Technology.
In June 2024, the "low platinum, high-efficiency fuel cell membrane electrode module engineering kit preparation technology and application" led by Professor Pan Mu, the founder of Wuhan Institute of Technology Hydrogen and Electricity, won the second prize of the the State Technological Innovation Award.
Pan Mu explained that the reason why this technology has won national level awards is because it has achieved a breakthrough in zero CCM type membrane electrodes in China and successfully transformed the results, breaking away from dependence on foreign membrane electrode products. It has also achieved reverse output to international monopoly countries, promoting the industrialization process of fuel cells in China.
As one of the future clean fuels, the deployment of hydrogen energy has become a global consensus, which brings opportunities for enterprise development. Pan Mujian believes that the spring of the hydrogen energy industry will eventually come. Chinese chips from Wuhan will integrate into the global hydrogen energy supply chain more quickly.
