At present, the global energy conversion revolution is in full swing, and China is also following up in depth, actively deploying and implementing the "dual carbon strategy", and urging various industries to transform to green, low-carbon, sustainable and high-quality. As a leader in China's equipment manufacturing industry, Weichai has never been afraid of challenges and bravely climbed the peak. On February 18, 2023, Weichai released the world's first high-power metal-supported SOFC product. Its combined heat and power efficiency is as high as 92.55%, setting the world's highest efficiency record for high-power SOFC combined heat and power systems, and promoting the world's new energy Technology upgrade!

"A good gamer seeks a game", Weichai aims at the "3060" goal and China's "14th Five-Year Plan" in the upgrade period of new and old kinetic energy, and lays out a multi-energy power game. In 2018, Weichai made another breakthrough on the new energy track, deploying SOFC business. After nearly five years of long-term investment and overcoming difficulties, Weichai has fully mastered the key core technology of the new generation of SOFC, and has taken the lead in launching the world's first high-power metal-supported commercial SOFC product. So, what value will this product bring to users? What impact will it have on the entire industry?

Technology climbs the peak and breaks the limit of efficiency

Facing the overall situation of energy, Weichai puts forward the "dual engine drive" strategy of focusing on both traditional energy and new energy with a unique vision. While consolidating and deepening the R&D and innovation of diesel engines that have already occupied a leading position in the industry, it actively deploys new energy fields. So far, Weichai has comprehensively laid out the three new energy technology routes of power battery, hydrogen fuel cell and solid oxide fuel cell, and has achieved global leadership in core technology and industrialization.

The SOFC released this time is undoubtedly another masterpiece of Weichai in the diversified development of energy sources. In 2018, Weichai, which made a strategic plan, looked for partners from a global perspective, made a strategic investment in the world's leading SOFC technology company Helios, and became its largest shareholder. At the same time, we are not afraid of challenges, vowing to gnaw hard bones and climb the highest peak, to overcome difficulties in the world's most advanced metal-supported SOFC technology, and successfully break through the peak of technology.

According to Tan Xuguang, director of the National Key Laboratory of Internal Combustion Engines and Power Systems, compared with traditional electrolyte support and anode support technologies, the world's first high-power metal-supported commercial SOFC product released by Weichai "has low operating temperature and heat resistance. The outstanding advantage of strong impact ability". More critically, its system power reaches 120kW, "breaking the efficiency limit", and the combined heat and power efficiency reaches 92.55%, "this is the highest in the world among high-power SOFC systems".

Tan Xuguang, Director of National Key Laboratory of Internal Combustion Engine and Power System

Weichai SOFC products have achieved a new breakthrough in technology and jumped to the international leading level in one fell swoop. In the interview, Chen Wenmiao, deputy general manager of Weichai Group and chief scientist of fuel cell engines, clearly emphasized that Weichai's SOFC products are world-leading in quick start-stop capabilities. The SOFC products unveiled this time have overcome the technical difficulties in the industry from high temperatures of 800°C to 600°C. The number of times the system can be started and stopped is more than 4 times that of international competitors, and the start-up speed is more than 3 times that of international competitors.

Weichai high-power metal-supported SOFC products

Encourage innovation and start a new era of energy

At the conference site, TÜV SÜD, an international authoritative testing organization, issued the EU CE certification to Weichai, which not only means that the product has successfully completed 39 full-item certification tests, is reliable and safe, but also guarantees the product’s Commercialization paved the way. Ling Wen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chairman of the Shandong Provincial Association for Science and Technology, Su Wanhua, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Liu Weimin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shu Gequn, Secretary of the Party Committee of the University of Science and Technology of China, and other experts, as well as the news media, witnessed the impact on China and even the global new energy industry. An epoch-making milestone moment.

TÜV SÜD of Germany issues EU CE certification to Weichai

With the surge of the global energy revolution, the SOFC products released by Weichai have broken through a number of major technical difficulties, and have the advantages of high cogeneration efficiency, good reliability, wide fuel adaptability, and stable power energy output. This successfully seized the commanding heights of the industry and pressed the accelerator key for Weichai in the field of new energy industry.

At the same time, future applications will also "promote distributed power generation and micro-grid construction", ensure power supply with low carbon emissions, and contribute to China's dual-carbon strategy. According to reports, Weichai SOFC can be widely used in various scenarios such as industrial parks, buildings, and data centers, and can provide green and low-carbon solutions for distributed energy and microgrids.

The commercial operation of Weichai SOFC products has achieved a phased breakthrough. It took the lead in carrying out demonstrations in Weichai Fuel Cell Industrial Park and Weifang Energy Group, with a total of more than 30,000 hours of operation. "The net power generation efficiency exceeds 60%, and natural gas can generate 6 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and it can be adjusted according to the peak and valley electricity prices." Yin Bo, deputy general manager of Weifang Energy Group Bintou Distributed Energy Co., Ltd., praised the economic benefits brought by him. Can't stop talking.

As a disruptive innovation in the global energy field, the large-scale application of SOFC will surely bring significant economic and social benefits. According to estimates, when the installed capacity of Weichai SOFC products as a distributed energy source reaches 1GW, it can reduce carbon dioxide by about 2 million tons per year compared with electricity from the grid, and save about 600 million cubic meters of natural gas compared with traditional natural gas internal combustion engine generator sets; Material gas and green hydrogen are used as fuels to achieve zero carbon emissions while effectively ensuring the safety of power supply.

The world's first high-power metal-supported commercial SOFC product was born in Weichai, and successfully played a "smart hand" in Weichai's multi-energy power chess game. In the future, Weichai will bravely stand at the forefront, continue to innovate, actively respond to China's dual-carbon strategy, and strive to be a pioneer in leading the global energy technology revolution!Editor/Ma Xue