KOBELCO Group to demonstrate hybrid-type hydrogen gas supply system toward realizing a hydrogen society

Kobe Steel announces today that the Kobe Steel Group (also known as the KOBELCO Group) plans to start a demonstration test of the hybrid-type hydrogen gas supply system at the Company’s production site Takasago Works (Hyogo prefecture, Japan) from around March 2023.

The demonstration of the system is partly supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the Development of Technologies for Realizing a Hydrogen Society^*1).

The hybrid-type hydrogen gas supply system provides solutions for stable and economical hydrogen production for small- to medium-scale hydrogen users. The hybrid system is based on the following three products/technologies of the KOBECLO Group:

In order to promote the utilization of hydrogen, the hybrid system is designed to have a liquid hydrogen vaporizer and a water-electrolysis hydrogen generator utilizing renewable energy in parallel, achieving both cost minimization and elimination of supply instability of renewable energy.

It also remotely monitors the amount of hydrogen used in facilities such as industrial furnaces and boilers to control the hydrogen supply system (hydrogen production) optimally for hydrogen demand change over time, so that hydrogen is always supplied stably and efficiently. In addition, the cold energy generated during the vaporization of liquid hydrogen can be used at the customer’s factories for cooling manufacturing facilities, air conditioning, heat pumps, etc. It saves energy and improves the energy efficiency of their production processes (see the figure below).

After the demonstration of the system, we will conduct the following activities at Takasago Works as a model case for small- to medium-scale hydrogen utilization.

Through these efforts, we will expand the utilization of hydrogen at various industries including our Group companies to contribute to the transition to decarbonization (namely, the transition to a hydrogen society). In particular, during the transition period until a large amount of economical green hydrogen becomes available, it is important to promote the use of liquid hydrogen in combination with the hydrogen produced by water electrolysis using small-scale renewable energy power generation). We believe that our Group's hybrid-type hydrogen gas supply system will be a key to successful decarbonization.

Kobe Steel will carry out the demonstration test of the hybrid-type hydrogen gas supply system in collaboration with Kobelco Eco-Solutions utilizing the management resources of the machinery business and the engineering business in synergy to provide solutions for the realization of a hydrogen society. We will continue to create unique value through leveraging the collective strengths of the KOBELCO Group.

The KOBELCO Group will continue to contribute to a green society in order to realize a world in which people, now and in the future, can fulfill their hopes and dreams while enjoying safe, secure and prosperous lives.