Shanghai (ZXZC)- Geely's Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group ("Farizon Auto") on Jan. 16 signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Handan Municipal People's Government, Cixian County People's Government, Windey Energy Technology Group Co., Ltd. ("Windey"), and China Merchants Taipingwan Development & Investment Co., Ltd. ("China Merchants Taipingwan") for the collaborative construction of a million-tonne green methanol demonstration zone project.

Photo credit: Farizon Auto

The endeavor aims to leverage each party's strengths in new energy and clean energy applications, technology, production, and operations to accelerate the development of Handan City's new energy and clean energy industries, contributing to the city's high-quality economic growth.

Based on the partnership, Farizon Auto will capitalize on its position as a leading enterprise in the new energy commercial vehicle industry and its globally leading technological capabilities in methanol ecology. Combining the expertise of Windey Energy in equipment manufacturing, project development, hydrogen, and methanol production, along with the leadership advantage of China Merchants Taipingwan in the transportation industry, national ports, and transportation support, the collaboration aims to construct a green methanol manufacturing project. This initiative will propel the development of methanol fueling, distribution, storage, and trade systems, while promoting the application of clean energy vehicles.

Farizon Auto said the project aspires to integrate the sources, grid, load, energy storage, and network for a comprehensive system and accelerate the establishment of a future energy landscape comprising wind, solar, methanol, hydrogen, and energy storage—a crucial step in aiding Handan's ambition to become a million-tonne green methanol preparation demonstration zone, fostering methanol economy, advancing green transportation reforms, and positioning itself as a model city for green, circular, and low-carbon transportation.

Drawing on Geely's nearly two decades of expertise in methanol technology  development, Farizon Auto has successfully industrialized its strategic technology route for methanol-hydrogen-electricity. Moreover, the automaker actively promotes the coordinated development of green methanol production, methanol fueling, and methanol-electric vehicles. Through an integrated approach involving methanol, vehicles, cargo, stations, and finance, Farizon Auto said it constructs a diversified green methanol transportation ecosystem.

This collaborative project aligns seamlessly with other initiatives, including the Zero-Carbon High-end Equipment Comprehensive Industrial Park by Windey and Farizon Auto's regional factory in Handan city. Together, these projects form an industry chain covering "wind turbines - green electricity - methanol - methanol commercial vehicles" with an overall output value exceeding a hundred billion yuan, enriching the application of new and clean energy industries in Handan City. The regional factory in Handan initiated construction in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2024.