On March 17th, the seminar on the Shanghai fuel cell vehicle demonstration urban cluster application assessment was successfully held at the Shanghai International Automobile City. Bai Jie, Level-II Counsel of the Department of High and New Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Yu Zhuoping, Professor of Tongji University, Wang Ju, Deputy Secretary-general of the China Society of Automotive Engineering, Fang Haifeng, Senior Chief Expert, and Deputy Director of the Research Department of China Automotive Technology & Research Center, Zhang Junliang, Professor of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Xu Sichuan, Professor of Tongji University attended.
The meeting was hosted by Han Dadong, Director of the smart manufacturing promotion division of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization. Officials from the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Finance, Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, and Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development attended the meeting. REFIRE Group and other enterprise representatives attended the meeting.
In the afternoon, Bai Jie and his delegation accompanied by Robin Lin, Chairman and President of REFIRE Group, conducted a site visit to the demonstration task of demonstration alliance led by REFIRE Group. In the headquarters of REFIRE Group, Bai Jie examined the three fuel cell vehicle models that REFIRE Group promoted in the first demonstration year, learning about the fuel cell system’s technology and product features, the status quo of vehicle operation, localization rate of core technologies and components, and the hydrogen supply and security guarantee mechanism.
In the first year of Shanghai fuel cell vehicle demonstration urban cluster application, REFIRE Group finished the demonstration application task of 13.5t, 18t, and 42t fuel cell vehicles, the total number of which amounts to 230, covering such scenarios as e-commerce express delivery, urban and suburban distribution and port transportation. In addition, 120 fuel cell vehicles included in the second demonstration year have been put into operation in advance.
With regard to the localization of eight core components of fuel cells, Robin Lin stated that REFIRE Group has been adhering to independent R&D and advancing independent innovation breakthroughs in technology chain and industry chain. So far, REFIRE Group has realized the independent development of membrane electrode, bipolar plates, stack and hydrogen circulation system. Besides, the fuel cell stack independently developed by UNILIA, stack BU of REFIRE Group, features high efficiency, extended service life, low cost, and exceptional reliability. It is suited for heavy-duty fuel cell system and can meet the power demands of vehicles, marines and other high load and torque requirements. The high performance membrane electrode assembly independently developed by UNIA features a 6-in-1 design sealed in an integrated single cell and adopts locally-produced PEM at scale.
Bai Jie commended that REFIRE Group has emerged as a hydrogen technology leader that has smoothed the chain of fuel cell materials, components, system products and application. He emphasized that one of the major targets of national fuel cell vehicles demonstration application policy is to achieve the localization of key technologies and components, and leading enterprises should seize the opportunity of demonstration application to facilitate technology innovation, and move fuel cell vehicles towards more reliable technology, more stable performance, greater safety and greater economic benefits.
Robin Lin stated that the first demonstration year indicates three features. Firstly, the customers are all well-established enterprises at home and abroad, which has demonstrated exemplary effects. Secondly, the demonstration application consortium included Sinopec Hydrogen Energy, which has established a gas station network and accumulated rich operation experience in hydrogen refueling station, thus ensuring the stable supply of hydrogen. Thirdly, the stable transportation market demand ensures the sustainability of commercial operation. Meanwhile, the clean and green transportation effects brought by fuel cell vehicles are highly consistent with the ESG philosophy practiced by well-known enterprises at home and abroad, which has laid a solid foundation for the project operation.
Bai Jie also visited REFIRE Group’s labs and testing platforms of parts, system and whole vehicle, and learned the whole development and verification system of fuel cell system here. Bai Jie affirmed REFIRE Group’s continuous investment into R&D, and noted that REFIRE Group should continue to enhance its fuel cell technology R&D and product development capabilities, optimize production process, and expand application promotion as the industry leader.
REFIRE Group is committed to driving the upstream and downstream of the industry to enlarge the scale and reduce the cost through continuous independent innovation. Through industry practice, the company will join hands with partners to explore and expand the widespread application of hydrogen technology, further advancing the Shanghai fuel cell vehicle demonstration urban cluster application project.
About REFIRE
Headquartered in Shanghai with a footprint spanning several global markets, REFIRE is the world’s leading deployer of commercial hydrogen fuel cell technologies. The company specialises in the design, testing, prototyping, application engineering, and production of electrolyser products and integrated fuel cell systems for buses, trucks, specialised vehicles, power machines, stationary power and decentralised grid power products.
As of 2023 Q1, REFIRE fuel cell technologies and products are powering over 4,200 fuel cell vehicles (FCEV) in daily use in 20+ cities around the globe. Combined vehicle mileage exceeds 145 million kilometres.
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