Japanese Firms Collaborate on Green Hydrogen Project in Hokkaido’s Chitose Area

Mitsubishi Corp. (MC), Takasago Thermal Engineering Co. Ltd. (TTE), Hokkaido Electric Power Co. (HEPCO), and Air Water Hokkaido Inc. (AWH) announced the signing of a joint development agreement to supply green hydrogen in Hokkaido's Chitose area. Hydrogen can be produced by electricity and other sources of energy, and because it does not emit CO₂ when burned, it is expected to play a significant role in realizing carbon neutrality. The Basic Hydrogen Strategy, updated by the Japanese government in June 2023, refers to the importance of establishing a domestic supply chain of hydrogen from the viewpoint of Japan’s energy policy. Furthermore, a broad range of industries has shown high expectations toward the utilization of hydrogen not only as next-generation fuels but also as raw materials in the production of ammonia, methane, and other chemicals. Chitose is home to Hokkaido’s aviation gateway, including the New Chitose Airport, surrounded by industrial zones occupied by a variety of manufacturers (Figure 1). The fact that the area has been selected as the site for a next-generation semiconductor plant will likely fuel the need for green hydrogen as a means of decarbonization. In February 2022, Chitose City announced their “Zero Carbon City Chitose” agenda, which outlines a local-production-for-local-consumption green hydrogen plan intended to help the city achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2050. [caption id="attachment_220129" align="aligncenter" width="842"]

1. Green hydrogen supply chain. Courtesy: Mitsubishi Corp.[/caption]   On May 31, 2024, the “Feasibility Study on the green hydrogen supply in Chitose City and the related infrastructure development in view of collaboration with other locations throughout Hokkaido” was deemed eligible by Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy for a subsidy designed to support the cluster development. Building upon the joint development agreement and taking into consideration the needs of customers, MC, TTE, HEPCO, and AWH will investigate site locations suitable for hydrogen supply and storage, and verify optimal transportation methods to realize green hydrogen local-production-for-local-consumption. With the support from Hokkaido Prefecture, Chitose City, and valued customers, the team aims to establish a hydrogen cluster by 2030 and materialize the green hydrogen supply chain in the wider Chitose area by collaborating with projects in other locations. —POWER edited this content, which was supplied by Mitsubishi Corp.’s public relations department.