Key takeaways:
The project features 2 electrolyzers, each with 3,000 Nm³/h capacity, integrated into a steel plant’s blast furnace
The system combines renewable energy and tail gas to power hydrogen production
LONGi Hydrogen reported an 8% to 11% reduction in CO₂ emissions during steelmaking operations
LONGi Hydrogen’s pilot project, featuring 2 industrial electrolyzers at a Chinese steelmaking site, won The smarter E AWARD 2025 under the Outstanding Projects category.
Based on the company’s ALK G Series, launched in September 2023, the 2 electrolyzers installed at the site have a per-hour capacity of 3,000 Nm³. They use an alkaline electrolyte with a 30% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution and operate at 1.6 MPa, consuming 4.3 to 4.5 kWh/Nm³ of power. The hydrogen produced and purified has a reported purity of 99.999%.
The green hydrogen system – hydrogen produced by powering the electrolyzer with renewable energy – has been deployed at the Qinhuangdao steel factory and integrated with the blast furnace, in which coke is used to reduce iron ore (iron oxide) at high temperatures to form molten iron. The aim of this integration is to use green hydrogen as a partial replacement for coke, thereby reducing emissions from its combustion. The company notes that it also uses tail gas, an exhaust gas from the furnace that can be combusted as an energy source, supplementing renewable energy to power the electrolyzers. LONGi Hydrogen reports that the pilot project achieved a reduction of 8% to 11% in CO₂ emissions.
According to the company, its ALK G Series is among the largest electrolyzers currently available on the market. Compared to 1,000 Nm³/h capacity electrolyzers, it is reported to reduce CapEx and product footprint by approximately 10% and 20%, respectively.