JERA Starts Hydrogen Utilization Demonstration Project In Japan

JERA has received notice of acceptance of its grant application to conduct a demonstration project related to hydrogen utilization at an LNG thermal power plant in Japan under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s Green Innovation Fund program.

Because hydrogen does not emit CO2 when burned, it is seen as a prospective next-generation fuel for use in thermal power stations instead of fossil fuels.

JERA aims to reduce its use of fossil fuels and to develop “zero-emission thermal power” that emits no CO₂ during generation by using hydrogen and ammonia as fuel. Intermediate to achieving such zero-emission thermal power plants, JERA plans to reduce CO₂ emissions by gradually increasing the utilization rates for hydrogen and ammonia.

As JERA looks to achieve the practical use of hydrogen at existing LNG thermal power plants, the Project will switch a portion of the LNG fuel used to generate electricity at JERA’s large-scale LNG thermal power plant in Japan to hydrogen and evaluate the resulting operational and environmental characteristics over a period of approximately 5 years from October 2021 to March 2025.

Based on the results of a feasibility study to be conducted early in the Project period, JERA aims to construct hydrogen supply facilities and other related facilities at its LNG thermal power plant, to install combustors capable of co-firing hydrogen and LNG in its gas turbines, and to switch approximately 30% of the LNG used for electricity generation (by volume, equivalent to approximately 10% of heating value) to hydrogen by fiscal 2025.

This is Japan’s first initiative to use a large amount of hydrogen as fuel in a large-scale commercial LNG thermal power plant.

Under its “JERA Zero CO2 Emissions 2050” objective, JERA has been working to eliminate CO2 emissions from its domestic and overseas businesses by 2050, promoting the adoption of greener fuels and pursuing thermal power that does not emit CO2 during power generation. JERA will continue to contribute to energy industry decarbonization through its own proactive efforts to develop decarbonization technologies while ensuring economic rationality.