Japan's largest electricity producer begins producing hydrogen from solid oxide electrolyser at gas-fired power plant
Demonstration project promises ‘world-class electrolysis efficiency’ from Denso equipment
Japan’s largest electricity producer, Jera, has started up the country’s first demonstration project to produce hydrogen from solid-oxide electrolysis at a thermal power plant.
The pilot at the utility’s gas-fired Shin-Nagoya power station in the city of Nagoya uses a solid-oxide electrolyser (SOE) developed by Japan’s Denso, a major automotive parts supplier that is part-owned by Toyota, using
Waste heat from the power plant will be utilised to produce the high-temperature steam needed by the 200kW electrolyser to manufacture hydrogen.
“In this demonstration, by applying Denso’s thermal management technology to minimises the amount of heat discharged from the SOEC [solid-oxide electrolysis cell], they [Denso and Jera] will work to achieve hydrogen production with world-class electrolysis efficiency,” said the two companies in a joint statement.
SOEs require less electricity than alkaline or PEM electrolysers to produce each kilo of hydrogen when incorporating waste heat, and can therefore theoretically make H2 at a lower cost. However, SOE stacks, which use ceramic membranes, are more expensive to manufacture than alkaline or PEM equipment and currently have a much shorter life span.
“Going forward, based on the results of this demonstration test, in order to accelerate efforts toward the practical application of SOEC as a next-generation fuel production device, they aim to expand the electrolysis power from 200kW to several thousand kW,” said the statement
The companies added that through the pilot, they will “seek to realise the early construction of a global green hydrogen and ammonia supply chain, thereby contributing to global decarbonization and the resolution of energy issues”.
“Jera, with a target of virtually zero CO₂ emissions domestically and internationally by 2050, will pursue the construction of hydrogen and ammonia supply chains and zero-emission thermal power that does not emit CO₂ during power generation.”
