- SPIC invests $5.85 billion in a wind-powered hydrogen fuel project in Northeast China.
- The project includes a 3.5-gigawatt wind facility and units for sustainable aviation fuel.
China’s State Power Investment Corp (SPIC) has announced a major $5.85 billion investment in northeast China to create fuel from wind-powered hydrogen. SPIC’s plan, outlined in a local government statement on Qiqihaer city’s official WeChat platform, includes a 3.5-gigawatt wind power facility, a hydrogen plant producing 164,000 metric tons annually, and units for 400,000 metric tons per year of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and methanol.
The first step is building a 10,000-metric-ton-per-year pilot plant for SAF from wind-generated hydrogen. Using technology from Tsing Energy Development Co, this groundbreaking initiative marks China’s inaugural project. While no specific timelines were given, an industry executive hinted that the SAF plant might start fuel production by late 2025. The technology mixes hydrogen with carbon dioxide sourced from corn-based ethanol.
According to the official, the pilot project could expand to 400,000 tons annually by 2030 if it is successful. An SPIC representative acknowledged the city government’s report but didn’t comment on construction timelines. SPIC, a state-owned company, leads in renewable energy among China’s utilities, managing 160 gigawatts of clean power capacity.