Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions (Toshiba ESS), Tohoku Electric Power and Iwatani Corporation recently announced that it has started construction of Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R), a large-scale hydrogen energy system in Namie-cho, Fukushima Prefecture.

FH2R will operate a 10,000㎾ class hydrogen production facility that will start operation in 2020, after final tests to verify the technologies. Hydrogen produced at FH2R will be used to power fuel cell vehicles and to support factory operations.

FH2R will produce and store up to 900 tons of hydrogen a year, using renewable energy. It will use a new control system to coordinate overall operation of the hydrogen energy system, the power grid control system, and the hydrogen demand forecast system, so as to optimize hydrogen production, hydrogen electricity generation and hydrogen gas supply.

The system will use hydrogen to offset grid loads, and deliver hydrogen to locations in Tohoku and beyond, and will seek to demonstrate the advantages of hydrogen as a solution in grid balancing and as a hydrogen gas supply.