Promotion of efforts towards hydrogen society

Project Summary

Promote Japan to become hydrogen society with further introduction of renewable energy. We made recommendations to the heads of local governments.

Troubles in connection to power grid for renewable energy
As a new goal for greenhouse gas emission reduction, Japan declared a 25% reduction vs. FY 2013 by 2030, and an increase in renewable energy generation ratio from 11% of FY 2013 to 22 – 24%. Meanwhile, solar power generation deployment furthered due to a feed in tariff system. This however caused connection volume troubles becoming a bottleneck of expansion of introduction of renewable energy.

Proposals to promote hydrogen society to local government heads
With its features, hydrogen is advantageous in “long-term supply and demand adjustment” required due to seasonal fluctuations and “mass storage.” As such, e-solutions has focused on hydrogen as a function to adjust electric power supply and demand. Some local governments were keen to deploy renewable energy, therefore we made a proposal demonstrating that utilizing hydrogen will realize their goals of renewable energy introduction, and it also could lead to regional industrial development, tourism promotion, disaster prevention measures, etc. Tohoku upholds its plan to transform to 100% renewable energy supply by 2040.

We presented them the need to investigate the technological and operational challenges regarding limited connections and in making use of surplus power, its business model, the potential of creating employment, and ROI. Following this, we also presented the feasibility of achieving 100% renewable energy utilizing hydrogen by regional PPS while sharing the examples of Power to Gas efforts in Germany and Denmark.Also, in some cities in Hokuriku, in addition to expanding the use of renewable energy by hydrogen, we also presented the attached potentials of regional promotion via local industry such as glass craft work, and also the additional benefits coming from the usage as transportation for tourist destinations.