Atome picks electrolysers from China’s Sungrow for Paraguay green fertiliser plant | Hydrogen News

Atome will use electrolysers from Chinese manufacturer Sungrow for its $665m green hydrogen-based fertiliser plant in Paraguay.

Sungrow Hydrogen will supply 110MW of pressurised alkaline systems to Atome’s Villeta project, which reached final investment decision in April.

Due online in 2029, the project will use 145MW of hydropower to produce 260,000 tonnes-per-year of calcium ammonium nitrate, which will be supplied to fertiliser firm Yara, under a 10-year offtake agreement.

EPC partner Casale, awarded the $465m contract in 2025, will undertake the project’s development, and Sungrow will provide long-term electrolyser maintenance support under the deal.

H2 View understands Sungrow already operates maintenance services for its solar business in South America.

This comes as Chinese electrolyser manufacturers expand globally, leveraging low-cost materials, supply chains, and labour, sparking concerns in other regions.

Atome CEO, Oliver Muscat, recently told H2 View that China is the only place in the world with operational systems over 100MW.

“If you want the track record and the experience, [China] is where you have to look,” he said.

According to estimates from the World Bank’s Energy Management Assistance Program (ESMPA), China currently holds 86% of global alkaline electrolyser manufacturing capacity.

At the recent World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag warned that Europe risks a “slow death” without protecting its electrolyser industry, calling for safeguarding of what he claims is still a technical edge over China.

While Aldag said Chinese-made electrolysers are susceptible to quality and safety issues, he acknowledged the manufacturer’s ability to adapt and improve rapidly.

In March, Sungrow confirmed “back-to-back” alkaline and PEM system shipments to customers in Europe, Oman, and South America, claiming these confirmed its global project delivery capabilities.