MHI launches operations at Nagasaki Carbon Neutral Park

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has started operations at Nagasaki Carbon Neutral Park, a center dedicated to the development of MHI Group’s energy decarbonization technologies.

Located in Nagasaki, the new base is expected to progressively expand over the coming years, and according to MHI, will undertake development mainly of fuel production, combustion and CO2 capture technologies at existing research facilities at the Nagasaki District Research & Innovation Center which are currently dedicated to production of hydrogen and biomass fuels, ammonia combustion and CO2 capture.

MHI said that by applying the thermal energy system design and manufacturing capabilities developed at Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works’ Nagasaki and Koyagi plants, the park will accelerate R&D toward product commercialization and business viability.

In the area of hydrogen production, MHI noted the development will focus on next-generation technologies such as advanced water electrolyzers that operate by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), and turquoise hydrogen produced by pyrolysis of methane into hydrogen and solid carbon.

Key technologies developed at Nagasaki Carbon Neutral Park will subsequently undergo hydrogen production demonstration at Takasago Hydrogen Park in Hyogo prefecture, as well as the demonstration of power generation in combination with a hydrogen gas turbine, MHI further stated.

In the area of biomass fuel production, MHI informed the development will target the commercialization of synthetic fuel production facilities, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) produced by biomass gasification integrated Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

As for the area of ammonia combustion, testing will be performed using an actual size burner of a large-scale combustion test furnace located within the Nagasaki district, with plans calling for co-firing with at least 50% ammonia demonstration testing at a power plant in FY2024 or soon thereafter, MHI said.

Currently, MHI Group is pursuing the energy transition as an engine for corporate growth based on its declaration of Mission Net Zero, targeting carbon neutrality by 2040. Its initiatives fall into three areas: decarbonization of existing infrastructure, the realization of a hydrogen solutions ecosystem and the achievement of a CO2 solutions ecosystem.

Going forward, through the R&D conducted at Nagasaki Carbon Neutral Park, the company said it will aim for practical applications of decarbonization technologies in a quest to achieve a carbon-neutral world.

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