- Goldwind’s 600 MW electrolyser installation in Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia, is on track to be the world’s largest operating green hydrogen and green methanol facility by the end of 2026.
- Electrolyser supplier HydoTech reports production costs as low as 15 yuan (US$2.25) per kg of green hydrogen.
- Goldwind has secured green methanol supply agreements with major shipping lines, including Maersk and Hapag Lloyd, covering between 750,000 and 850,000 tonnes.
Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind is close to completing what is expected to be the largest operating green hydrogen facility in the world, with the 600 MW electrolyser installation in Inner Mongolia due to reach that status by the end of 2026.
The project, located in Hinggan League, uses local wind and solar power to run the electrolyser. It is integrated with biomass gasification and methanol synthesis, allowing the site to produce green methanol as a clean marine fuel for international shipping.
HydoTech, which supplies the electrolysers, says green hydrogen production costs at the facility are as low as 15 yuan (US$2.25) per kg. If sustained at commercial scale, that figure would mark a significant benchmark for the global green hydrogen sector, where cost remains one of the main barriers to wider adoption.
Demand for the output is already largely secured. Goldwind has signed supply agreements for between 750,000 and 850,000 tonnes of green methanol with leading global shipping lines, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. Phase I of the project has reached its first commercial delivery milestones, and Goldwind has shipped its first green methanol cargo from the site.
The project has also obtained full supply chain green certifications, including ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS, issued under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system. It has further secured what is described as China’s first RFNBO certification for green hydrogen based methanol. RFNBO stands for Renewable Fuels of Non Biological Origin, a classification used in European Union renewable energy rules.
For developers and investors in Africa’s emerging green hydrogen sector, the Inner Mongolia project offers a reference point on cost, scale and the use of long term offtake agreements with shipping companies to underpin large facilities.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
