Scaling up for a low-emissions hydrogen future: New Asahi Kasei plant achieves milestones 

What would it take to power up the hydrogen economy? The big unknown is not market interest. According to a recent Hydrogen Council report, demand for clean hydrogen is projected to grow to as much as 375 million tons per year by 2050. No, the more pressing question involves our relative capacity to scale infrastructure, improve technologies, and devise the processes needed to meet global demand. 

This is precisely why the opening of a new hydrogen pilot plant in Kawasaki, Japan, is so significant. Tokyo-based Asahi Kasei Corp. considers “hydrogen-related business” among its strategic growth drivers. And with projected market expansions on the horizon, the facility serves as an important milestone toward that effort: a commercially-viable, multi-module facility that Asahi Kasei calls the Aqualyzer^TM, capable of alkaline water electrolysis in the 100-MW class. The new pilot plant consists of four 0.8MW modules with electrolysis cells of the same size as commercial units which enable to accelerate the test of material development and optimized operation. This facility was built under the support by the “Green Innovation Fund”¹ of Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Scalable approach
The technology begins with a basic module size of 10 MW. By connecting modules, Asahi Kasei can easily scale up – not just to improve flexibility, but also to allow for incremental investment and a more phased implementation. This can lessen the financial and operating risks that are so often tied to large-scale projects, and they can also offer greater adaptability to accommodate the inevitable shifts in energy markets.

The first project involves the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R)², located in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture. FH2R is capable of producing up to 2,000 Nm³ of hydrogen per hour using renewable energy. The output hydrogen from FH2R is used for the several local demonstrations such as the hydrogen refueling station located next to FH2R.

Partnerships spurring development

Asahi Kasei has already demonstrated a large-scale single module at FH2R that has clocked more than 10,000 hours of operation since 2020, underscoring the equipment’s reliability and Asahi Kasei’s commitment to ongoing maintenance after installation. Asahi Kasei is now teaming up with fellow Hydrogen Council member Gentari, a Kuala Lumpur-based energy company, to plan a 60 MW class demonstration with the intention of eventually rolling out larger-scale commercial facilities across Asia. A front-end engineering design (FEED) is currently under development.

Aqualyzer^TM’s design enables equipment such as membranes and cells to be easily replaced if malfunctions occur. The pilot system at Kawasaki Works uses multiple modules, expands flexibility, improves usability, and diminishes downtime. Critically, the facility is built to account for the intermittencies in renewable energy output due to the unpredictable nature of sources like wind and solar. Electrolysis equipment must be especially responsive to these changes.

As the global hydrogen market continues to grow, technologies and partnerships like these will be essential to drive innovation and keep up with regulatory changes and shifting consumer demands.

A pivotal step forward

Collectively, these projects position Asahi Kasei as both a leader and pioneer in the energy transition. And as the Hydrogen Council report emphasizes, the push toward a low-emissions hydrogen economy highlights the urgency for these kinds of robust advancements. Indeed, innovative facility investments like Asahi Kasei’s pilot plant mark a pivotal step forward. 

Still, more needs to be done. For the energy transition to succeed, more scalable developments like these will become foundational to drive society toward a cleaner energy future. If properly supported, hydrogen energy can assume a central role to mitigate climate change and foster energy security. 

1: Green Innovation Fund / Hydrogen Production through Water Electrolysis Using Power from Renewables / Technology development for increasing the size of water electrolysers, and Power-to-X large-scale demonstrations / Large-scale Alkaline Water Electrolysis System Development and Green Chemical Plant Demonstration

2: Development of Technologies for Realizing a Hydrogen Society / Development of Hydrogen Energy Utilization Systems / Technical development concerning business model construction and large-scale proof of a hydrogen system for energy reuse