Page 12 - AsiaElec Week 17 2022

AsiaElec HYDROGEN AsiaElec

Japanese firms target site

near Tokyo for hydrogen

supply facility

JAPAN A trio of leading Japanese energy and steel regulations.
companies are working together to help bring a When fully repurposed, the site will serve as
hydrogen and ammonia supply base to fruition the focal point for Japan’s first fully commercial
on the nation’s Pacific shore just south of Tokyo. ammonia and hydrogen supply business.
ENEOS, the nation’s largest refiners along In addition to serving as an inbound-out-
with leading steel producer JFE Holdings and bound base for the industry close to the capital,
JERA, the country’s largest power generation it is forecast that Keihin will be the central point
firm, have signed a far-reaching memorandum of a nationwide network supplying both ammo-
of understanding (MoU) to bring the base to nia and hydrogen.
Kanagawa Prefecture, a few kilometres from the The site could also operate as the primary
capital. docking site for carriers of both materials from
The MoU has already led to a series of talks overseas.
on how to keep the nation near the forefront Exports of hydrogen too have long been
of hydrogen power development in the com- tabled by Japan’s renewables community should
ing years. It is understood the parties involved a domestic industry take hold, with one eye
are now planning in detail the full commercial on neighbouring China as the world’s largest
development of the site and potential future sup- consumer.
ply chains.
Japan has already seen development of the Current figures show China uses around
technological aspects of ammonia and hydrogen 24mn tonnes per year (tpy) of hydrogen,
use make great advances. In 2017, the national although the majority produced domestically
government issued its Basic Hydrogen Strategy, comes from burning fossil fuels and not from
in the process becoming the first nation in the renewable sources.
world to do so. ENEOS in particular is keen to develop the
In more recent years Japan has repeatedly hydrogen market both at home and overseas,
gone on record championing its zero-emission where its long-term goals include power stations
goals with both the wider nation, and with the for Japan’s increasing numbers of fuel cell vehi-
city of Tokyo chasing the same target by 2050. cles (FCVs). Both Toyota and Honda are known
The aims of the strategy are eventual use of to be pushing FCV development.
hydrogen in powering heavy industry, transpor- Sources close to the projects indicate that
tation networks and residential energy supply. when discussions are complete, JFE will take a
Large-scale consumption of ammonia or hydro- leading role in the early stages of the project by
gen as fuel, however, requires the development repurposing its own East Japan Steelworks. Sub-
of receiving and supply bases in areas close to the sequent development will then see port facilities
point of eventual use. improved to be able to dock heavy carriers of
It is for this reason the Keihin Waterfront both ammonia and hydrogen.
Area in a sprawling industrial area south of the JERA and ENEOS will then come to the fore
Japanese capital has been selected. to put in place processing and storage facilities
Each of the firms behind the MoU are active of both agents with the final product eventually
in the area, with ENEOS running a number of making its way into a specially designed grid
refineries and JERA operating both power plants to supply either purpose built or repurposed
and at least one LNG receiving terminal. power generation plants on site with fuel, and
JFE has long owned and operated steel-mak- just north, providing energy to the world’s larg-
ing facilities on land nearby, and is looking to est city.™
redevelop this under existing local government

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 17 27•April•2022