Mitsubishi Power, an MHI brand, has announced that Takasago Hydrogen Park, the world's first integrated hydrogen validation facility, has entered full-scale operation. The park is located at MHI’s Takasago Machinery Works in Hyogo prefecture in west central Japan. Electrolysis hydrogen production recently began operation at the park, and Mitsubishi Power aims to improve product reliability through the validation of hydrogen co-firing and 100% hydrogen firing of gas turbines, while also implementing successive expansion with the introduction of next-generation hydrogen production technologies.
The facility is divided into sections according to three hydrogen-related functions: hydrogen production, storage, and utilisation. In the production area, an alkaline electrolyser manufactured by HydrogenPro AS of Norway with a hydrogen production capacity of 1100 m3/h, the highest in the world, has entered operation. The hydrogen produced will be stored in a separate facility with a total capacity of 39 000 m3.
The validation of hydrogen firing equipment will be carried out at the T-Point 2 combined cycle power plant validation facility located in the utilisation area, using a Mitsubishi Power JAC (J-series air-cooled) large frame gas turbine (450 MW class), and a 40 MW class H-25 gas turbine that had been previously installed for compressor driving at combustion test facility.
The hydrogen produced will be used to validate 30% hydrogen co-firing at T-Point 2, a grid-connected JAC gas turbine combined cycle power plant and is expected to be completed before the end of the year. Validation of 100% hydrogen firing in the H-25 gas turbine is planned for 2024.
Mitsubishi Power is currently developing hydrogen production technologies, including solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysers, and next-generation turquoise-hydrogen production technology that produces hydrogen, without emitting CO2, through the pyrolysis of methane into hydrogen and solid carbon. The company plans to conduct verification and validation in these areas sequentially. After developing these fundamental technologies for products based on its proprietary technologies at the Nagasaki Carbon Neutral Park, Mitsubishi Power plans to carry out hydrogen production validation of these technologies at the Takasago Hydrogen Park with the aim of achieving commercialisation.
