On September 22, 2020, at the 75th United Nations General Assembly, China made a commitment to carbon emissions: strive to reach the peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

You may ask, what is carbon neutrality?

In short, within a certain period of time, the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced directly or indirectly and the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced by afforestation, energy conservation, and emission reduction can offset each other.

How do you reach a balance? At the China Electric Vehicle 100 Forum in 2021, experts put forward a key word when discussing carbon neutrality: hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

In their view, hydrogen energy is becoming a new way out, the most ideal and most pollution-free energy source. Strategic automobile companies are already setting their priorities, which means that in the near future, the hydrogen fuel cell automobile industry will usher in a period of high growth, which is an important part of the automobile industry’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.

Everything is as Ebron expected. As one of the founders and pioneers of China’s fuel cell technology, he repeatedly emphasized: “To be carbon neutral and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, hydrogen energy must be developed.”

“I’m not going anywhere!”

In the 1960s, the United States worked hard to implement the Apollo program. At that time, Yi Jianlian was a graduate student at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He pointed out that the Apollo spacecraft uses alkaline fuel cells.

“Battery that can fly to the sky” is too tempting for young Ebron.

The opportunity came soon.

In order to cooperate with the national space technology development plan, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has undertaken the task of producing space hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells. Ebrun is the youngest captain in this task.

At the time, Ebron and his colleagues started almost from scratch. In the absence of data and technology, they use the existing resources and talents of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics to continue their exploration. Soon, under the leadership of chemists Zhu Baolin and Yuan Quan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he and his colleagues assembled the most important part of the fuel cell, the stack.

How does lithium battery work

The reactor is ready, but its operation is full of problems: What should I do if the distribution of hydrogen and oxygen is uneven? How to ensure the stability of unmanned operation? How to solve the pressure regulation problem?

In ten years, Ebron and his colleagues solved these problems one by one. The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics also designed and produced China’s first self-designed alkaline fuel cell, becoming the only unit to complete the mission in the national manned flight plan.

Just when Ebron believed that fuel cell development was about to take off, due to changes in the national master plan, fuel cell development work was suspended. In the absence of tasks and funds, a team of more than 100 people was dissolved on the spot, and team members began to be dispersed to various departments.

“Would you like to be the director of the Catalysis Lab?” When it was Yi Baolian’s turn, he rejected the kindness of his tutor Guo Xiexian.

“I’m not going anywhere!” Ebron believes that fuel cells are important for aerospace and submarine development. For the country, such an important task should be retained. ”

It is precisely because of Ebreen’s insistence that the fuel cell project was preserved.

Hydrogen fuel cell spring

In a speech in August 2020, Ebream used 2018 data as an example, stating that China’s dependence on foreign markets for oil and natural gas was 70% and 45.3%, respectively. If you want to develop an alternative to oil and natural gas fuel, the best option is hydrogen.

Why is this?

Because hydrogen is clean. The only by-product of hydrogen fuel cells is water.

Only hydrogenation does not drink oil, only drainage does not exhaust gas-look, does it smell like future cars?

The World Hydrogen Association even boldly predicts that by 2050, hydrogen cars will account for 25% of global cars. 20% of the global carbon dioxide reduction can be achieved through hydrogen energy.

Therefore, hydrogen energy is definitely worth remembering in the early days.

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With the outbreak of the third Middle East oil crisis in the 1990s, the development of new energy received unprecedented attention. Ebrun thought to himself that it was time.

He began to write a report on the feasibility of developing fuel cell research in China, thinking that “a new era of fuel cell industry development is coming soon.”

The report has received great attention from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Science and Technology. Promoted the launch of the fuel cell technology project, a key task of the Ministry of Science and Technology during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period. Ebron is responsible for major projects for electric vehicles.

After the heavy blow, Ebrun attacked again.

This time, with his support, Dalian gave birth to China’s first joint-stock company focusing on the industrialization of fuel cells-Xinyuan Power.

is also here, the El Brim team produced an automotive fuel cell system with a net output of 30 to 100 kilowatts.

Fuel cells were originally used in aerospace and submarine applications, and now they have taken a big step towards civilian use.

The system was tested on fuel cell vehicles at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Now, this system has been perfected for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. It is reported that in the future, all supporting vehicles in the core area of ​​Zhangjiakou will use hydrogen fuel cell buses.

Regardless of actual demand or policy support, the spring of hydrogen fuel cells has arrived.

For the Ebola virus, the “light over phase” proves that hydrogen fuel cells can indeed play a role.

“The energy density of hydrogen is two to three times that of petroleum, and it is the’energy’ of mankind.” Compared with traditional electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can refuel in just a few minutes and have a range of up to 500-700. kilometer. ”

The current hydrogen fuel cell basically meets the requirements of vehicle use. But it is clear that Ebrun wants more than basic things.

For example, the third-generation hydrogen generator has been completed, the energy consumption of electrolysis has reached the international advanced level, and he even led the development of international standards.

However, Ebolian believes that the cost of hydrogen production and transportation, and the construction cost of the hydrogenation station can be further reduced; the power, quality and life of the stack and battery system can be further improved;

When it comes to hydrogen fuel cells, Ebron always wants to be more perfect. He is looking forward to it entering the homes of ordinary people. In his opinion, this is the real spring.