World's Largest Hydrogen Plant May Be Built in Fukushima

Tokyo, Sept. 29 (Jiji Press)--Toshiba Corp. <6502>, Tohoku Electric Power Co. <9506> and Iwatani Corp. <8088> said Thursday that they will conduct a feasibility study on the development of a major hydrogen energy system in Fukushima Prefecture. The envisioned system will have a hydrogen production facility with a capacity equivalent to 10,000 kilowatts, the world's largest, the companies said. The government plans to build a major renewable energy base in the northeastern Japan prefecture, battered by the 2011 nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 power plant, and produce hydrogen there by using solar, wind and other renewable energies. The government also plans to use Fukushima-produced hydrogen for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The three companies will conduct the feasibility research under a deal awarded by the state-affiliated New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization. The envisioned hydrogen system will help flatten fluctuations of output from renewable energy sources and stabilize power grids. Hydrogen will be produced through water electrolysis using surplus electricity and stored. It will be used to generate electricity when needed to prevent power supply shortages. The system is expected to annually produce 900 tons of hydrogen, enough to fuel 10,000 fuel cell vehicles. The three firms aim to start operating the system in fiscal 2020. END