In the Kansai region, large-scale demonstration projects are being carried out to "create, transport, store, and use" hydrogen. Two of them will be introduced here.
(1) The Australia-Japan hydrogen supply chain establishment pilot project
Japan is dependent on foreign countries for energy, and in order to spread the use of hydrogen domestically, it is necessary to import large quantities from abroad.
Therefore, the world's first technological proof-of-concept "hydrogen supply chain" commenced in 2020. Here, CO2-free hydrogen is produced in Australia from unused lignite coal (with carbon dioxide by-products stored underground), converted into liquefied hydrogen suitable for transportation, and transported in large quantities to Japan for consumption.
This pilot is a NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization)-subsidized project initiated by the CO2-free Hydrogen Energy Supply-chain Technology Research Association (HySTRA), a technology research association comprised of the following business entities: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Electric Power Development Co., Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, ...
