The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan recently announced the successful completion of the world's largest renewable energy electrolysis hydrogen production demonstration plant (FH2R) in Fukushima, with a capacity of 10 MW. The demonstration plant, consisting of a 20 MW photovoltaic power station and a 10 MW electrolysis hydrogen production system, can produce up to 1200 Nm3 of hydrogen per hour at its rated power. The pilot plant will explore how to balance the power system's supply and demand by adjusting the amount of hydrogen produced and maximize the utilization of fluctuating renewable energy without using batteries. It aims to establish clean, low-cost hydrogen production technology, specifically, the optimal operation control techniques that combine the demand response of the power system and hydrogen supply-demand with devices having different operational cycles. The produced hydrogen will primarily be transported using compressed hydrogen trailers and portable ultra-cold containers, supplied to customers in areas like Fukushima Prefecture and Tokyo. It will be used for power generation in stationary fuel cells, as well as in fuel cell vehicles and buses.

    Editor's Note: The Japanese government issued the "Basic Hydrogen Strategy" in December 2017, pointing out that with the increase in the introduction and output of renewable energy, producing hydrogen using renewable energy electricity (Power-to-Gas) is a key means for surplus energy storage. Therefore, for hydrogen energy storage and utilization, the goal is not only to maximize the use of renewable energy by leveraging the power system's supply-demand balancing regulation function (demand response) but also to optimize the system's operation based on the forecast of hydrogen supply and demand. To explore the optimal combination of hydrogen production/storage and power supply-demand balance adjustment, Japan's NEDO, in collaboration with Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation, Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., and Iwatani Corporation, started the construction of the world's largest renewable energy hydrogen production demonstration plant (FH2R) in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture in 2018. Toshiba oversaw the entire project and the overall hydrogen energy management system. Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. was responsible for the grid energy management system (EMS) and data collection and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) related matters. Iwatani Corporation handled hydrogen demand, supply forecasting system setup, as well as transportation and storage of hydrogen.

The entire text is sourced from the "Advanced Energy Technology Strategic Intelligence Research Center".