JERA and partners launch NEDO project to advance international hydrogen quality standards

JERA Co., Inc., the Japan Hydrogen Association (JH2A), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the Japan Petroleum and Carbon Neutral Fuels Energy Center (JPEC), and ENEOS Corporation have launched a NEDO-commissioned research and development project aimed at establishing the technical basis for the international standardization of hydrogen quality.

The FY2026–FY2027 project will develop technical evidence needed to determine hydrogen quality requirements and threshold values for impurities, supporting the safe and reliable use of hydrogen across applications including power generation, steelmaking and industrial heat.

The project builds on R&D conducted by JERA, ENEOS and JPEC during FY2023–FY2025, which resulted in draft hydrogen quality standards for industrial applications.

As part of the new program, JERA will conduct simulated-gas exposure testing, while AIST will perform combustion testing using actual engines. ENEOS will assess hydrogen quality requirements and determine which constituents and threshold values should be included in the standards.

JPEC will use the technical findings to formulate draft hydrogen quality standards, while JH2A will develop a strategy for their international standardization.

The companies said rational, application-specific hydrogen quality standards could support the large-scale deployment of CO₂-free hydrogen, reduce costs across the hydrogen supply chain and encourage broader adoption.

The initiative supports JERA’s “JERA Zero CO₂ Emissions 2050” objective and its efforts to expand the use of clean fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia in zero-emission power generation.