The Japan government's "Basic Hydrogen Strategy" outlines an action plan towards 2030, and a vision towards 2050. A critical component of this strategy is the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (hereafter "FH2R").
The aim of the FH2R project is to demonstrate the feasibility of hydrogen as an energy resource by July 2020. The project, located in Japan's Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, with a vast field of approximately 220,000m2, is equipped with a 10 megawatt (MW) hydrogen production unit—the largest-class in the world—and a 20MW solar power generation unit. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) assigned Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation with the overall management of the project, with Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., and Iwatani Corporation responsible for the construction work, which started in July 2018.
A clean, inexhaustible source of energy: Is hydrogen as an energy source considered as a dream come true?
"Are hydrogen cars the vehicles of the future?" In recent years, these headlines have surfaced in the news as more hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations are springing up in some countries. Hydrogen energy is gaining heightened awareness and a widespread use of this energy is expected.
There are several reasons for this increasing adoption of hydrogen energy. Hydrogen doesn't produce CO2 emissions in the process of being converted to electricity, and has a lot of potential to alleviate environmental issues, including global warming. There is an inexhaustible supply of hydrogen on the planet, and a variety of different methods to generate it. It can also be stored and transported over long distances, which is why countries like Japan is looking to hydrogen energy as a way to reduce its dependence on foreign countries for energy sources, such as fossil fuels. Hydrogen energy, it seems, is looking more and more like the energy of the future.
In the FH2R system, hydrogen is produced in a hydrogen production unit that uses electricity derived from a combination of renewable energy generated in the solar power generation unit and the grid. The hydrogen is subsequently stored for use in various applications. The entire process, from production to actual usage, is CO2-free. The goal is to establish an environmentally friendly hydrogen supply system.
Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation undertakes the overall responsibility of the management of the project, as well as the overall hydrogen energy system. Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. manages the control system of the power grid, and Iwatani Corporation handles the storage, supply of hydrogen, and the hydrogen demand and supply forecasting system. We spoke to Fumiyuki Yamane, Hydrogen Energy Business Division, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation who has been involved in the project since the open call by NEDO.
"The FH2R system manages the production and storage of hydrogen according to the demand forecasts made by the hydrogen demand and supply forecasting system, and adjusts the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production unit to keep demand and supply balanced in the power grid. The system also employs efficient use of the electricity that comes from the renewable energy generated in the solar power generation unit. Indeed, the heart of this project is the system control technology, which manages three factors—hydrogen production and storage, supply-demand adjustments in the power grid, and the use of electricity derived from renewable energy—in the most optimal way."
Fumiyuki Yamane, Manager, Power To Gas Business Development Group, Business Development Dept., Hydrogen Energy Business Div., Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
The demand for renewable energy is on the rise in Japan. However, systems such as solar power generation and wind power generation are dependent on weather conditions and can cause major fluctuations in power output. These fluctuations pose challenges to maintain the balance of supply and demand of power. FH2R, a large-scale system mitigates the risks of these fluctuations by making supply-demand adjustments in the system and utilizing renewable energy to produce hydrogen and stores/transports the hydrogen for various uses.
"FH2R is what's called a Power-to-Gas (other terms used: power to gas, P2G, PtG) system. A number of countries in Europe, for example Germany, have been ahead in the power-to-gas field. These countries realize that they are unable to reduce CO2 emissions sufficiently and achieve their targets through the electricity sector alone, that they need to implement other measures simultaneously, including targeting the transportation and industrial sectors. As they look for the best ways to do so, they recognize that power-to-gas, which utilizes electrolysis to convert electricity, derived from renewable energy, to hydrogen, is a possible key to their strategies. In Japan, there is also a need to refine the foundational technologies for power-to-gas systems, if we're to reduce CO2 emissions and expand the use of renewable energy. We want to be able to compete on the same playing field as countries in Europe. So there's been a lot of anticipation surrounding the FH2R project, especially with this system being the first of its kind in the world," said Yamane.
FH2R has started operations as the world's first largest-scale power-to-gas system. The facility opened in March 2020, and hydrogen production and transport commenced in July, as part of the feasibility demonstration. The hydrogen produced is expected to be utilized in applications including fuel cell power generation, fuel-cell cars, and fuel in factories.
An environmentally-friendly energy management system that predicts hydrogen demand and balances electricity demand and supply
Toshiba Corporation is involved in the energy infrastructure field since its inception, and has vast experience in the applications of hydrogen. Toshiba's long-cultivated technological foundation and expertise contributed to the successful appointment of Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation as the lead engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider for this FH2R project.
The Toshiba Group has been involved in the design and operation of many forms of large-scale infrastructure, including thermal and hydroelectric power plants, and the Group's expertise proved invaluable to this project?a large-scale hydrogen power plant that is the first of its kind in the world.
"FH2R is significant to Toshiba as it is the largest hydrogen project undertaken so far for the company. This is also the company's first assignment to manage the entire hydrogen energy system, from ground preparations to installation of this large-scale system. We are working with many organizations including Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. and Iwatani Corporation, along with other suppliers like Kajima Corporation, and coordinating closely with NEDO, Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy and government agencies handling the administration of Fukushima Prefecture and Namie Town." said Yamane.
In many ways, hydrogen energy may be the guiding light to illuminate a better future. And with FH2R, we take the first step—towards a healthful recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the hydrogen society we are all working towards.
Source: Neo Target