During the six-day professional trip to Japan organized by the Hungarian Hydrogen Technology Association, a number of professionals from large companies and ministries visited Japan. Leading engineers and specialists of MOL, MOL-CESP, MVM, MFGT, ALTEO, Südy kft., as well as the leaders of the Ministry of Energy and the Association took part in the professional trip to learn about the latest technologies currently in use.
The participants of the professional trip visited the Chiyoda company, which transports pure hydrogen in toluene. During the visit, the Japanese partner recalled the visit of the MEKH delegation in 2019, then Dr. the professional visit of the President of the Republic János Áder, and the Hungarian interest in the maritime and industrial transport of pure hydrogen. The advantage of transporting in toluene in a dissolved state is that it does not mean any unusual use for current petrochemical plants and users, and the hydrocarbon product toluene can be fully recovered for reuse at the end of the process.
A delegation of members of the association and leaders of the Ministry of Energy visited the Hystra project in Kobe. In the project, the consortium consisting of several Japanese companies transports liquefied hydrogen by sea to Kobe, and then stores it in the 2500m3 cryogenic tank shown in the picture, from which it is also transported by road to its place of use in a liquid state. Such a use of this hydrogen is also the Kawasaki mixed-fuel turbine, the prototype of which is already suitable for burning both 100% natural gas and 100% hydrogen and for stepless switching between the two gases.
Members of the association also visited the gas and nuclear steam turbine factory of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Takasago pure hydrogen project, where they saw the latest products of the factory, the turbine production process, the models operating with 30% and now 50% hydrogen and natural gas, as well as also the prototype that works with 100% pure hydrogen.
After their visit to Kobe, the delegation consisting of MOL, MOL-CESP, MVM, MFGT, ALTEO, Südy kft., leading engineers visited the Yamanashi Next Generation Energy System project (a company owned by the municipality of Yamanashi prefecture) where a pilot hydrogen energy complex unique in the world was viewed. The complex uses a solar farm to produce pure hydrogen, which is bottled and sold commercially. There are also 2 Hitachi hydrogen filling stations operating at the site in the ski resort. In Japan, 200 bar pure hydrogen bottles are already available for household use. (e.g. for charging fuel cell bicycles, motorcycles, quads, for cooking), but their customers also include a coffee roasting plant and a glass factory. The system also includes a flywheel fast energy storage unit and a supercapacitor battery storage unit.