ENEOS Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) announced that it will commence a demonstration project using extracted hydrogen from methylcyclohexane (MCH), an organic hydride that
serves as a hydrogen carrier, at ENEOS refining facilities (the Kawasaki Refinery, Wakayama Refinery and Mizushima Refinery are proposed sites), working toward the development of a CO2–free hydrogen supply chain. This is the first MCH dehydrogenation demonstration project using existing refining facilities in Japan. ENEOS recently concluded the purchase agreement of MCH for the demonstration with the Advanced Hydrogen Energy Chain Association for Technology Development formed by Chiyoda Corp., Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (AHEAD). AHEAD will manufacture MCH from hydrogen derived from unused energy in Brunei Darussalam.
This demonstration has been selected as a project for technology verification under the FY2021 program of the Consortium for Resilient Oil Supply System (CROS)that provides subsidies for improving productivity and resilience in petroleum complexes (subsidies for infrastructure development projects of petroleum complexes). Due to the coastal location of refineries with berths that allow mooring of large vessels and the presence of large–scale hydrogen consumers, such as power plants, steel plants and petrochemical plants in the neighboring areas, refineries have a huge potential to be a base for supplying CO2–free hydrogen manufactured overseas. Since the demonstration of the MCH dehydrogenation process utilizing existing refining facilities does not require large–scale investment, the demonstration is believed to contribute the development and expansion of the CO2–free hydrogen supply chain in the future.
The demonstration verifies a series of processes from receiving MCH produced overseas to dehydrogenation and consumption by utilizing existing refining facilities at three refineries as candidates, including the Kawasaki refinery. The demonstration includes assessment of its impact on facility operation to estimate acceptable dehydrogenation quantity of MCH for refineries. The hydrogen produced from MCH will be utilized for desulfurization of petroleum products and other uses.