Asahi Kasei and its subsidiary Asahi Kasei Engineering Corp. have received an order from Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corp.
Development of the large-scale alkaline water electrolysis system featuring high energy efficiency and outstanding responsiveness with fluctuating output was achieved based on Asahi Kasei's world-leading chlor-alkali electrolysis technology, with the support of Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions, which placed the order for Asahi Kasei's electrolysis system, was commissioned by NEDO to implement a Hydrogen from Renewable Energy Project in Namie, as a technological development project. Integrated with a large-scale solar power generation plant, the electrolysis system will form a core part of the Fukushima Hydrogen Research Field scheduled for test operation in the autumn of 2019 and start-up in the summer of 2020.
Asahi Kasei's alkaline water electrolysis system is an exemplar of “power-to-gas” technology to convert renewable energy into clean hydrogen which is expected to be widely utilized in transportation and industrial applications as a substitute for fossil fuel. The market is expected to grow significantly with the shift to a low-carbon society.
Participation in this project accords with Asahi Kasei's mission of contributing to life and living for people around the world, as well as its medium-term strategic objective of providing solutions to society in the area of clean environmental energy.