Hydrogen and Methanation

Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.

Figure1：Basic information of the Toyosu hydrogen refueling station

Figure2 : System Flow of the Toyosu hydrogen refueling station

Figure3 : Target specification of suidel

Outline

Currently, we, the Tokyo Gas Group is working on the dissemination, expansion and further improvement of the efficiency of fuel cells. On top of that, we have been working on methods of how to utilize hydrogen including developing a hydrogen station, development of a small hydrogen generator “suidel” and others. Besides the hydrogen utilization field, we are developing elemental technologies for hydrogen production to reduce the production cost of hydrogen from renewable energy, and we also plan to address the investigation research for methanation, that is, synthesizing methane which is a main component of city gas using CO2 and hydrogen generated from renewable energy.

Description

Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of energy sources and has a variety of uses. In addition, since hydrogen does not emit CO2 when using, it contributes significantly to reduce and or eliminate carbon from gaseous energy, and to improve energy security, thus it is thought to be one successful option. Currently, our group is working on the dissemination, expansion and further efficiency improvement of fuel cells as an initiative of the hydrogen usage field. In addition, we are installing hydrogen stations and developing a small hydrogen generator for industrial customers.
Regarding hydrogen stations, the Group currently operates four hydrogen stations. Of these stations, the Toyosu Station, which started up in January 2020, is the first on-site hydrogen station in Japan that can accept large-scale fuel cell buses. In addition, all of the hydrogen produced and supplied at the Toyosu Station is manufactured using “carbon-neutral city gas *1”. This is the first hydrogen station in Japan to achieve "Net-Zero CO2" (constructed jointly with Japan H2 Mobility, LLC). The introduction of the latest equipment and the duplication of primary equipment insures high filling performance and operational stability.
With respect to small hydrogen generators for industrial customers, the Group is currently conducting a demonstration test for the sales promotion of the on-site hydrogen generator "suidel". The goal of this device is to have customers who use a little hydrogen use more on-site hydrogen made from city gas. This device is a hydrogen generator, which is a 5Nm3 / h class small flow rate type, developed by our group for the household fuel cell, ENE-FARM, using the fuel processing technology that produces hydrogen from city gas. The introduction of suidel to customers who procure hydrogen from outside via curdles is expected to enable customers to reduce costs by producing hydrogen economically and to save labor by reducing the frequency of procurements.
In addition to the initiatives related to the project of hydrogen utilization, the Group plans to develop the elemental technologies for hydrogen production to reduce production costs, and also, the Group intends to conduct the investigation research of methanation which synthesizes methane, the main component of city gas, by using CO2 recovered in plants and hydrogen produced from renewable energy.

*1. Carbon-neutral city gas uses carbon-neutral LNG purchased by Tokyo Gas from the Shell Group, and CO2 generated in the process from natural gas extraction to combustion is offset by CO2 credit (carbon offset). Eligible CO2 credits were purchased by the Shell Group after a reliable verification organization validated the CO2 reduction effects of the environmental protection projects around the world as CO2 credits.
*2. Japan H2 Mobility, LLC (JHyM): https://www.jhym.co.jp/en/