Chinese proton exchange membrane AB side
Whether domestic proton exchange membranes can be applied in batches and replace imported ones depends to a large extent on the choice of downstream membrane electrode and stack manufacturers. At this stage, it is still difficult to quickly switch imported proton exchange membranes to domestic products in large quantities.
"Our company has begun to introduce domestic proton exchange membrane verification and testing last year, and there is no plan to apply it in batches." A senior executive of a domestic membrane electrode company told Gaogong Hydrogen Power that from the actual test situation, a single batch of domestic proton exchange membranes The technical indicators of sub-products are not much different from those of foreign brands, but after multiple batches, the stability and consistency cannot be guaranteed.
In fact, in the past year, some domestic membrane electrode and stack companies have started the testing and verification of domestic proton exchange membranes, and some companies have even started vehicle loading verification. Domestic proton exchange membranes are getting closer and closer to replacing imports in batches, and they seem to be on the verge of dying.
What are the difficulties in the production process and batch application of proton exchange membranes? What impact will the use of domestic proton exchange membranes have on downstream membrane electrode and stack manufacturers? Are the current "replacing subsidies with awards" and the planning of demonstration city clusters an opportunity for domestic proton exchange membrane enterprises to quickly replace imports?
Replacing the pain points of imports
Proton exchange membrane (PEM), also known as proton membrane or hydrogen ion exchange membrane, is known as the chip of fuel cell, and its performance directly determines the performance and service life of fuel cell.
For the current domestic enterprises, the difficulties of proton exchange membrane mainly lie in the long process cycle, complex process and high cost of film formation. To solve these problems, in addition to the efforts of domestic proton exchange membrane enterprises, downstream membrane electrodes and membrane electrodes are also required. The cooperation of the stack enterprise.
"Because imported products have been used before, the biggest difficulty in replacing domestic proton exchange membranes is the adaptation of the material system." The technical director of a domestic head membrane electrode company told Gaogong Hydrogen Power that the batch import of domestic proton exchange membranes means that the original Materials such as catalysts and gas diffusion layers need to be readjusted. This is a systematic project that requires multiple companies in the industry chain to cooperate with testing and verification, and more importantly, there needs to be scenarios where downstream customers are willing to provide orders and operational testing.
On the other hand, the biggest bottleneck of domestic proton exchange membranes is the lack of sufficient matching verification data. Under the premise of pursuing safety and reliability, downstream stack manufacturers are more inclined to purchase imported products.
"Whether the defects and deficiencies of domestic proton exchange membranes can be reflected at the stack level needs to be verified and it is a long-term verification. It will not be seen for a while. We are testing and will focus on testing indicators such as durability and mechanical strength." A senior executive of a stacker company said that the localization of materials is imperative, but it takes time, and large-scale stacking cannot be done in the short term.
It is worth noting that under the premise of the current lack of sufficient market orders, the price advantage of domestic proton exchange membranes compared with imported brands is not obvious. Replacing domestic proton exchange membranes also means that necessary verification and testing are required, which will inevitably extend In the delivery cycle, downstream enterprises lack the motivation to replace.
Opportunities in difficulties
Although domestic proton exchange membranes are still difficult to be loaded and applied in large quantities in a short period of time, judging from the application data over the years, they are gradually opening up the situation of being monopolized by imported products.
GGII data shows that in 2021, the amount of proton exchange membrane required for domestic membrane electrodes in China's hydrogen fuel cell field will be 112,000 square meters, an increase of more than 150% over the previous year. In terms of the localization rate of proton exchange membranes, GGII data shows that the demand for domestic membrane electrode proton exchange membranes in 2020 will be 44,000 square meters, of which the market share of domestic proton exchange membranes is 7.5%. In 2021, the market share of domestic proton exchange membranes will increase to 11.61%.
From the perspective of the market competition pattern, the domestic proton exchange membrane market is still dominated by foreign brands. The domestic proton exchange membrane enterprise Zhongdongyue will develop rapidly in hydrogen energy in the future, and its market share in domestic fuel cell proton exchange membranes will increase significantly in 2021. In addition, Wuhan Lvdong, Kerun New Materials, Zhejiang Hancheng, etc. are also actively carrying out demonstration and promotion, and starting product verification and small batch shipments. At the same time, Guangdong Emont and Huayi Group are also developing hydrogen fuel cell proton exchange membranes. .
As we all know, the policy of "replacing subsidies with awards" and the planning of fuel cell vehicle demonstration city clusters have provided a rare opportunity for the localization of membrane electrodes and a window for the development of domestic proton exchange membranes.
"From a purely market point of view, there is currently no urgency to adopt domestic proton membranes. We prefer to use insurance membranes, and no company is willing to take this risk. If downstream customers clearly stipulate that domestic membranes should be used, the progress of batch application may be It will speed up." A senior executive of a stack company said that from the perspective of the entire industry, the localization of proton exchange membranes has opened a hole, and it is more likely that some special demonstration projects will be the first to use domestic membranes in batches in the short term.
For domestic proton exchange membrane enterprises, it is the most difficult and time-consuming to break through the first batch loading verification threshold. Once this threshold is broken, it is expected that the subsequent volume will be much faster.
Although issues such as price, verification and enhancement of product competitiveness have not yet been resolved, it is fortunate that domestic enterprises have taken a key step towards indusa
