Japan’s Program of Using Hydrogen as a Major Energy Source

Japan has embarked, as a national policy, on the use of hydrogen as a main and substantial energy source for the country.   Click here, here, and here to read information on the Japanese hydrogen policy. 

To better understand what has been accomplished to date related to this national policy, I extensively searched the Internet to identify Japanese public companies that have reported in their annual reports activities related to this national policy.   The following are fifteen Japanese public companies that were identified along with brief descriptions of activities they refer to in their annual reports related to the national policy: 

• Asahi Kasei (a chemical company) has been developing alkaline water electrolysis systems for producing hydrogen. 
• Chiyoda (an engineering and factory construction company) has participated in demonstrating the successful storage and ocean transport, from Brunei, of the hydrogen carrier methylcyclohexane. 
• Eneos Holdings (an energy company) has been investigating supplies of hydrogen and opening and operating hydrogen fueling stations. 
• INPEX (an energy company) has been producing hydrogen from natural gas. 
• Iwatani (a gas company) has opened several hydrogen refueling stations in Japan. 
• Jera (an energy company) has been verifying the safe use of hydrogen at their power stations and selecting optimal hydrogen carriers (e.g., ammonia; liquified hydrogen; and methylcyclohexane). 
• J-Power (an energy company) has been producing hydrogen from brown coal in Australia, capturing and storing the emitted carbon dioxide, and shipping the hydrogen to Japan. 
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries (a manufacture of industrial equipment) has been developing cargo containment systems for use in shipping liquefied hydrogen. 
• Marubeni (an investment company) has been investing in hydrogen production and supply chain companies, e.g., in transporting hydrogen from Australia to Japan. 
• Mitsubishi Chemical Company has built and evaluated hydrogenation and dehydrogenation plants needed when the hydrogen carrier methylcyclohexane is shipped. 
• MOL Mitsui OSK Lines (a shipping company) has been developing ocean shipping capabilities for hydrogen. 
• Nippon Steel Engineering (an engineering company) has been developing systems for safely suppling high-pressure hydrogen to vehicles. 
• NYK Shipping Company has contributed to the development of a hydrogen supply chain from hydrogen suppliers to hydrogen users. 
• Sumitomo (a conglomerate) has produced in Malaysia hydrogen using hydroelectric power and electrolysis for shipping to Japan. 
• Tahoka Electric Power Group has been testing the use of hydrogen for generating power at thermal power stations and also researching electrical grid stabilization by using hydrogen energy. 

It seems to me that this Japanese hydrogen energy goal is very unique in terms of its magnitude and potential consequences, both if successful and if a failure.  For example, if successful the implications for other countries with respect to approaches to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are important.   If unsuccessful, then negative consequences for Japan and others would be significant. 

Another aspect of the Japanese hydrogen energy goal is the management implication.   Because of the magnitude of the goal, if successful or not, understanding the success (or failure) should be useful in better managing other huge country-wide projects. 

Based on the descriptions provided above of Japanese public companies’ activities with respect to the Japanese goal, some conclusions are: 

• Many different and complex technologies are needed to be adapted, developed, and used for the goal to be successful, and 
• Much more than successful technologies are required.  For example, good systems analysis and management are necessary.  And successful cooperation and collaboration between Japanese, and other country companies, as well as with the Japanese government, are necessary.