Mitsubishi Power is set to establish Takasago Hydrogen Park, described as the world’s first centre for validation of hydrogen related technologies, from production to power generation. The centre will be co-located at the gas turbine development and manufacturing facility of MHI’s Takasago Machinery Works in Hyogo Prefecture, to support the commercialisation of gas turbines using hydrogen as fuel. The Takasago Hydrogen Park is planned to be expanded and developed in a series of incremental steps. Mitsubishi Power has already announced its 30% hydrogen co-firing for large frame gas turbines and will use Takasago Hydrogen Park to commercialise small and large frame gas turbines on a path to 100% hydrogen firing starting in 2025.

The Hydrogen Park will be located next to the company’s existing T-Point 2 combined cycle power plant validation facility. Mitsubishi Power is beginning to test and demonstrate technologies including hydrogen production, storage and hydrogen gas turbines, aiming to commence operations in fiscal year 2023.

The hydrogen production facility utilises a water electrolysis system, with further plans to conduct testing and verification of additional next-generation hydrogen production technologies such as turquoise hydrogen produced by the pyrolysis of methane into hydrogen and solid carbon.  This could be a low emission hydrogen source where renewable electricity is used to power the pyrolysis process and where the carbon is permanently stored or utilised in circular economy type applications.  

An integrated system for all aspects of hydrogen-related technologies, from development to demonstration and verification, will be established at the Takasago Machinery Works. For the combustion chamber, the key component of hydrogen gas turbines, Mitsubishi Power will create a work-flow that includes development at the development centre (Research and Innovation Center), design, production of an actual machine at the manufacturing plant, and validation testing at the demonstration facility. Mitsubishi Power’s gas turbine development process encompasses verification testing of all elements at the basic design stage, the incorporation of those results in the detailed design, and finally validation using an actual machine. Completing this development cycle within the same plant will allow for quicker and more certain product development and commercialisation.

As part of the Energy Transition strategy, MHI group is building a value chain for hydrogen, from production to use, through the further integration and advancement of the existing energy structure and hydrogen-related technologies. By further developing this approach and linking it to many different types of industries centred on hydrogen, MHI aims to establish a “hydrogen ecosystem” that will form the basis of a sustainable society, and accelerate its commercialisation through verification at Takasago Hydrogen Park.