Photovoltaic companies playing hydrogen card

Several major solar power companies in China are making forays into the hydrogen sector in search of the next big investment opportunity in the clean energy sector as China has been supporting the development of hydrogen energy.

Solar power player GCL New Energy Holdings Ltd, a unit of GCL Group, recently announced its entry into the hydrogen sector. It vowed to produce 2.3 million metric tons of ammonia annually, which can supply 700,000 tons of "blue" hydrogen for the domestic market.

"Blue" hydrogen is produced by transforming methane into hydrogen plus carbon dioxide, while "green" hydrogen－also referred to as "clean hydrogen"－is produced by using clean energy from surplus renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power.