Chiyoda : Webpage update information – SPERA Hydrogen® / Chiyoda’s Hydrogen Supply Chain Business

SPERA Hydrogen^® Promotional Video

Realization of the use of hydrogen is globally anticipated as the ultimate clean energy carrier. While the conventional technologies did not allow a large-scale storage and transportation of hydrogen same as that of petroleum and natural gas, Chiyoda successfully developed a technology named SPERA Hydrogen^®, to enable safe, large-scale storage and transportation of hydrogen. With this technology, hydrogen can be handled in a liquid state at ambient temperature and pressure, which makes it possible to utilize the existing petroleum transportation and distribution infrastructure, such as tanks, oil tankers and tank lorries, lowering the capital investment for hydrogen transportation.

The central objective of the Paris Agreement, entered into force in November, 2016, sets out a global framework to avoid significant climate change, to hold global average temperature increase to 'well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.' The Japanese Cabinet has approved that it will boldly take measures towards the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions by 80% by 2050.
In order to achieve these goals, widespread use of renewable energy is essential. Although renewable energy is unstable and/or highly dependent on the weather, SPERA Hydrogen^® can be produced from renewable resources for storage and transportation as hydrogen energy carrier, contributing to the increased use of renewable energy.

Now, the Japanese Government is actively promoting the use of hydrogen energy. In its Strategic Road Map for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, compiled in 2014, it is clearly stated that, the technology demonstration of storage and transportation of hydrogen from overseas shall be done by 2020, full-fledged introduction of hydrogen power generation shall be realized by 2030, and full-fledged operation of manufacturing, transportation and storage of zero-emission hydrogen for domestic use shall be materialized by 2040. Chiyoda aims to establish a global hydrogen supply chain, to supply SPERA Hydrogen® for power generation, as well as distributed power generation energy supply businesses.

The World's First Global Hydrogen Supply Chain Demonstration Project

Chiyoda Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha established the 'Advanced Hydrogen Energy Chain Association for Technology Development (AHEAD)' to carry out the Global Hydrogen Supply Chain Demonstration Project, scheduled from FY 2015 to 2020, funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

In this demonstration project, a Hydrogenation Plant was constructed in Brunei Darussalam and a Dehydrogenation Plant in the Kawasaki Coastal Area in Japan. Using the SPERA Hydrogen^® technology developed by Chiyoda, hydrogen produced in Brunei is transported by sea to Japan in the form of Methylcyclohexane (MCH)* at ambient temperature and pressure. Gaseous hydrogen is then separated from MCH at the Dehydrogenation Plant in Kawasaki and supplied to consumers as power generation fuel.

In May, 2020, SPERA Hydrogen® transported from Brunei Darussalam by sea successfully started to be supplied to a gas turbine in Mizue Thermal Power Plant from the Dehydrogenation Plant in TOA OIL CO., LTD.'s Keihin Refinery, located in the Kawasaki Coastal Area in Japan. Hydrogen transported by sea has been used for power generation for the first time in Japan, bringing us another step closer to the commercialization of global hydrogen supply chain. For more details, please visit AHEAD website, which also includes a virtual plant tour.

*Methylcyclohexane (MCH):
A liquid produced from toluene and hydrogen, which can be handled in a liquid state at ambient temperature and pressure. It is widely used in many fields and products, a solvent for correction fluids is one of the examples.