Core Insights - The joint research team of Dongfang Electric and Academician Xie Heping has achieved a significant breakthrough in the scale-up verification of seawater desalination-free direct electrolysis hydrogen production, completing long-term operation validation of a newly developed modular system capable of producing 110 standard cubic meters per hour, with total operation time exceeding 1000 hours, marking a key step towards industrialization [1][7]. Development Timeline - In May 2023, the joint team successfully completed the world's first offshore wind power coupled seawater desalination-free direct electrolysis hydrogen production sea trial in the Fujian Xinghua Bay, achieving a production rate of 1.2 standard cubic meters per hour, and immediately began scaling up the corresponding engineering research [3][9]. - By July 2024, the team developed a prototype of the new modular system with a capacity of 10 standard cubic meters per hour, which underwent 240 hours of continuous operation testing to further validate the reliability of the core technology route [4][9]. - In September 2024, the new modular system for seawater direct hydrogen production at 110 standard cubic meters per hour was completed and achieved stable operation for the first phase over 240 hours, representing a hundredfold scale-up within 16 months [5][9]. Technological Innovations - The joint team has continuously innovated around key aspects such as efficient electrolysis, energy-free mass transfer, and module integration, gradually establishing a comprehensive independent research and development system covering "theory-technology-engineering" [5][9]. - The equipment system features a highly integrated modular design that is compact, mobile, and adaptable to various application scenarios; it also incorporates a visual monitoring system for real-time tracking and intelligent control of operational status, significantly enhancing system reliability and environmental adaptability [5][9].

Core Viewpoint - The collaboration between Dongfang Electric and Academician Xie Heping's team has achieved a significant breakthrough in the large-scale engineering verification of seawater direct electrolysis for hydrogen production, marking a key step towards industrialization of this technology [1] Group 1 - A new type of split-structure seawater direct electrolysis hydrogen production system has been developed, achieving a long-term operation verification with a cumulative running time exceeding 1000 hours [1] - This technology allows for the direct electrolysis of seawater without prior desalination, overcoming traditional limitations and establishing a unique, disruptive full-chain development path for marine green hydrogen [1]