(Yicai) Aug. 22 -- Toyota’s new China hydrogen fuel cell research and development hub as well as manufacturing base built by Toyota SinoHytec Fuel Cell, the Japanese automaker’s joint venture with hydrogen fuel cell engine maker Beijing SinoHYtec, and United Fuel Cell System Research and Development Beijing, a consortium of six companies, was put into operation in Beijing on Aug. 20.

The first phase of the factory, which is spread over 44,000 square meters, is designed to produce 10,000 fuel cell systems and electric stacks a year, Toyota China said today. It is comprised of a production plant, a test workshop, an R&D building, an experimental building, a hydrogen station, a comprehensive station, and a waste product depot.

The plant will leverage the research produced by United Fuel Cell System R&D, which is made up of FAW Group, Dongfeng Automobile, GAC Group, BAIC Group, SinoHytec and Toyota, to develop new fuel cell systems and electric stacks, while Toyota SinoHytec, which is an equal JV set up by SinoHytec and Toyota in June 2021 with an investment of JPY8 billion (USD55 million), will be in charge of production and sales.

The second phase is scheduled to start construction in 2026 and when finished the factory will cover 113,000 sqm.

The commissioning of the new plant is another important step in Toyota's aim to provide a full fuel cell systems production chain, from R&D to production, sales and services, for the Chinese market, the Aichi-based company said.

In China, hydrogen technology is used in many application scenarios, such as buses and heavy-duty trucks that work in cold chain deliveries and logistics, and is growing incredibly fast, said Tatsuro Ueda, chief executive officer of Toyota China. Ueda said he expects the advantages of hydrogen technology to be utilized even more in practical applications, such as main-line logistics to achieve a carbon-neutral society through the popularization of fuel cell electric vehicles.

The establishment of Toyota SinoHytec was a strategic decision made by the two partners based on a deep insight into the global energy transition and a high degree of consensus on the future development potential of fuel cell technology, said Zhang Guoqiang, chairman of SinoHytec. By integrating the unique strengths of both parties in technology, marketing and management, Toyota SinoHytec will become a new engine to drive the fuel cell industry forward.

Editor: Kim Taylor