Earlier this month, Asahi Kasei (Tokyo, Japan; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp) and its subsidiary Asahi Kasei Engineering Corp. started up hydrogen supply at the alkaline-water electrolysis system in Namie, Futaba, Fukushima, Japan. This system boasts a world-leading scale of 10 MW.
The new world-scale alkaline water electrolysis system at FH2R (Source: Asahi Kasei)
Asahi Kasei Engineering received the order for the alkaline-water electrolysis system from Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corp. in 2017. The system was installed at the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R), which opened on March 7, 2020, as a technological development project of NEDO (Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). Able to produce hydrogen at the rate of 1,200 Nm3 per hour (rated power operation), it is the world’s largest-scale system comprising a single stack. After its installation in November 2019, several trial operations of the system were performed to confirm that the product hydrogen met the required quality standards, with hydrogen supply operation beginning in March. While hydrogen supply operation continues, the system’s performance in response to fluctuating power input will be evaluated, and its full-fledged operation at the core of FH2R is scheduled to begin this summer.
Through practical application of its Aqualyzer alkaline-water electrolysis system based on original technology, Asahi Kasei will provide solutions to society for clean environmental energy.