Page 5 - AsiaElec Week 10 2021

AsiaElec COMMENTARY AsiaElec

and climate ambitions. “I applaud Japan for its to -253°C (-487°F), in a special tank. The other
leadership in advancing low-carbon hydrogen uses organic chemical hydrides (OCH) to store
and carbon-recycling technologies, which will and transport hydrogen under ambient temper-
be crucial for decarbonising sectors where emis- ature and pressure.
sions are hardest to reduce, such as long-distance NEDO also opened in March 2020 the
transport and heavy industry,” Dr Birol said. world’s largest electrolysis system to produce
The comments came in the week that Tokyo hydrogen at the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy
published its new hydrogen strategy. Research Field (FH2R).
The government plans to expand annual It can create as much as 2,000 cubic metres
hydrogen consumption to up to 3mn tonnes by of hydrogen per hour using renewable energy,
2030 and 20mn tonnes by 2050. with some practical uses extending to power
At the same time, it aims to cut the cost of fuel cell buses and cars.
hydrogen to JPY30 ($0.30) per cubic metre by Elsewhere, Mitsubishi Power is expand-
2030 and less than JPY20 yen ($0.20) by 2050. ing the practical application of a large-sized
The government said that by 2050, the mar- hydrogen gas turbine to meet future demand
ket for hydrogen and hydrogen-related technol- while lowering carbon emissions. It has already
ogies is expected to draw revenues of more than achieved mixed-combustion power generation
$2.5 trillion per year, according to a 2017 report at 30% hydrogen, and by 2025 it plans to achieve
from the Hydrogen Council, a global CEO-led 100% hydrogen combustion.
initiative to develop the hydrogen economy.
Domestically, Japan’s hydrogen market Growth Strategy
is estimated to reach a value of JPY396.3bn Japan published its new “Green Growth Strat-
($3.8bn) by 2030, according to a report by Fuji egy in line with Carbon Neutrality in 2050” in
Keizai Group, a market research company. December 2020, which identified 14 areas that
As well as hydrogen, Japan aims to achieve could provide the changes and green growth
20% use of ammonia as a mixed combustion needed to meet the 2050 target.
fuel at thermal power stations. Industrial giant It wants renewables to account for 50-60% of
IHI has developed a burner technology that can electricity demand in 2050, with the reminder
co-fire fossil fuels with more than 20% ammo- supplied by nuclear and thermal plants with
nia in boiler and gas turbines, while curbing carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS)
nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. (30-40%) and 10% hydrogen and ammonia.
Other Japanese companies are developing The IEA’s view is that Japan must increase
new hydrogen technology. The New Energy and electrification levels everywhere in the econ-
Industrial Technology Development Organisa- omy. It has to establish price signals and other
tion (NEDO) is developing two international incentives to encourage investment in efficient
transportation technologies for hydrogen. One and low-carbon technologies and beef up the
focuses on pumping liquefied hydrogen, cooled regulatory regime.™

Week 10 10•March•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P5