[Japan] KEPCO Joined the Preparatory Committee to Establish the Hydrogen Value Chain Promotion Council

On October 14, 2020, Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture) announced that it had joined the Preparatory Committee which will work to establish the Hydrogen Value Chain Promotion Council by early December 2020. The Council will seek to promote global cooperation in the development of the hydrogen sector and the formation of hydrogen supply chains. The Preparatory Committee consists of nine companies[1] including KEPCO.[2]

Many countries, including Japan, are currently working towards the realization of a hydrogen society due to the potential for hydrogen technologies to help reduce CO2 emissions. The Hydrogen Value Chain Promotion Council will take the following actions:

·       Promote cross-cutting initiatives to build a hydrogen value chain.

·       Accelerate the application of hydrogen technologies to solve societal needs and challenges.

·       Promote the creation of a hydrogen financing scheme in collaboration with financial institutions.

Prior to joining the Preparatory Committee, KEPCO has already been working on accelerating the development of hydrogen technology, such as establishing Hydro Edge (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture)[3], a joint venture involving KEPCO and other investors that manufactures and sells liquid hydrogen. KEPCO has also conducted a series of hydrogen demonstration tests and studies with the support of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO, Headquarters: Tokyo). The research has included demonstrations of the efficiency of hydrogen co-generation systems (CGS) and hydrogen-fueled gas turbine operations with dry low NOx combustion technology[4], as well as exploring the possibility of integrating hydrogen into existing thermal power plants.

KEPCO plans to further accelerate its efforts to promote hydrogen utilization as a member of the committee through collaboration with the other participating organizations and businesses to explore hydrogen’s potential and through future work to overcome barriers to the realization of a hydrogen society.[5]

[1] The Preparatory Committee consists of KEPCO; Iwatani (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture), a trading company supplying gases for industrial and household use ; ENEOS (Headquarters: Tokyo), a petroleum company ; Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI, Headquarters: Tokyo) , a heavy machinery manufacturer; Kobe Steel (Headquarters: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture), a steel manufacturer ; Toshiba (Headquarters: Tokyo); Toyota (Headquarters: Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture); Sumitomo Mitsui Financial (Headquarters: Tokyo), a financing group provides banking services ; and Mitsui & Co (Headquarters: Tokyo) , a Japanese trading company.

[2] https://www.kepco.co.jp/corporate/pr/2020/pdf/1014_2j_01.pdf

[3] http://hydroedge.co.jp/

[4] https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/news/AA5en_100427.html

[5] https://www.kepco.co.jp/corporate/pr/2020/1014_2j.html

[Japan] J-Power and KDDI Completed a Drone Demonstration Test at Tomamae Winvilla Wind Farm

J-Power (Headquarters: Tokyo), a power producer and KDDI (Headquarters: Tokyo), a  telecommunications operator, announced on October 7, 2020, that they had conducted a drone demonstration test at J-Power’s Tomamae Winvilla Wind Farm from September 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020.

The drone was equipped with auto-flight software that was manufactured by Drone Base (Headquarters: Tokyo), a drone software developer.[1] The software enables the drone to automatically capture images of wind turbine blades when they are in shutdown mode. The demonstration test showed that the drone was able to capture images of all three blades of a wind turbine from four different directions in one flight. The captured images were then uploaded to a cloud server along with additional data, such as positioning and altitude information. It took approximately 20 minutes for the drone to capture images of each wind turbine, which means that the drone reduced inspection times approximately 90% compared with conventional manual inspections.

Based on the results of the test, J-Power and KDDI will continue to advance their automated drone inspection methods by utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), robots, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.[2]

[1] https://drone-base.jp/

[2] https://www.jpower.co.jp/news_release/2020/10/news201007.html

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Company Will Conduct a Demonstration Test on the Frequency Control of a Power System Using Storage Batteries

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka Prefecture) announced on November 29, 2019, that a total of 10 companies including KEPCO will conduct a demonstration test on the frequency control of a power system using storage batteries. The test will run from December 2, 2019 to January 31, 2020. It will integrate the battery control system “K-LIBRA” with 8 different storage batteries produced separately by each battery manufacturer. “K-LIBRA” was jointly developed by KEPCO and NEC, a major Tokyo-based IT and electronics company.[1]

The demonstration test will examine the battery control system’s ability to remotely control all of the tested batteries with the fast charge-discharge capability. It also validates the performance of the system’s response capabilities for short cycle load fluctuations by analyzing the response time and the control accuracy of batteries in response to the signal emitted from “K-LIBRA.”  Furthermore, the demonstration test evaluates the effectiveness of the system’s additional functions to maximize the frequency control capabilities. Based on the test results, KEPCO aims to commercialize the battery control system in fiscal year (FY) 2020.

In early 2019, KEPCO, ELIIY Power (a Tokyo-based company that develops high capacity batteries[2]), and Sansha Electric Manufacturing Co. (an Osaka-based company machinery manufacturer[3]) completed a preliminary demonstration test to collectively and remotely control the charge-discharge performance for a total of 10,000 storage batteries in response to short cycle frequency fluctuations in the power system.[4]

The project is funded by the Agency for Natural Resources under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), through its FY2018 Demonstration Project on Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Utilizing Demand Side Energy Resources.[5]

[1] https://jpn.nec.com/profile/corp/outline.html

[2] https://www.eliiypower.co.jp/company/index.html

[3]http://www.sansha.co.jp/user_data/company/company.php?transactionid=5642f6fe202e98ff6d6489c915b7eef78fe1a2e8

[4] https://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2019/0522_1j.html

[5] https://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2019/1129_1j.html

[Japan] Kyushu Electric Power Signed a Business Partnership Agreement with NExT-e Solutions to Advance Storage Battery Reuse Technologies

On September 20, 2019, Kyushu Electric Power (Kyuden, headquartered in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture ) announced that it had signed a Business Partnership Agreement with NExT-e Solutions (NExT-eS), a Tokyo-based start-up company that specializes in advanced storage battery control technology , in order to advance storage battery reuse technologies.

The partnership is part of the KYUDEN i-PROJECT, which aims to promote innovation to provide new value to customers. NExT-eS is currently conducting a demonstration project to test large-scale stationary lithium-ion batteries’ storage systems in cooperation with NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). The lithium-ion batteries are currently being used for solar power plants. Based on the results of the demonstration project, Kyuden and NExT-eS aim to commercialize 20MWW/20MWh stationary energy storage units by 2023.

［Japan］ The Second Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting and the First International Conference on Carbon Recycling were held by METI and NEDO in Tokyo

On September 25, 2019, a series of international conferences; the Second Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting and the First International Conference on Carbon Recycling, were held in Tokyo by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). NEDO is Japan’s largest public R&D funding institute specialized in new clean energy technologies.[1]

 Representatives from 35 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and France, as well as international organizations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Commission (EC), attended the Second Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting. The Meeting consisted of two sessions; a Ministerial Session and an International Organization Session.

 The Ministerial Session facilitated talks between countries and concluded the Global Action Agenda, setting goals and roadmaps for utilizing hydrogen energy as a key technology to reduce carbon emissions in the energy systems. During the International Organization Session, delegations from global leading companies, as well as the IEA and the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), presented the latest development efforts for hydrogen technologies. These technologies fall under the four areas of cross-cutting activities, transportation/mobility applications, hydrogen supply chains, and cross-sector integration.

 Simultaneously, representatives from 20 countries and international organizations participated in the First International Conference on Carbon Recycling. The conference marked the world’s first international meeting on carbon recycling technologies, and focused on promoting international collaborations. During the meeting, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Isshu Sugawara, presented on Japan’s “Carbon Recycling 3C Initiative ”, which stands for Caravan (promoting mutual exchanges), Center of Research, and Collaboration. This initiative aims to deepen knowledge about carbon recycling technologies overseas, establish research centers to specialize in R&D activities, and strengthen international collaborations. Representatives from various countries also shared their progress in carbon recycling technologies development.[2]

[1] https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/introducing_index.html

[2] https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2019/09/20190927003/20190927003.html