Japanese consortium studies hydrogen for decarbonising the Port of Kobe

Kobe City, Kobe-Osaka International Port Corporation (Hanshin Port), Marubeni Corporation and Iwatani Corporation to study the ‘Hydrogen Utilisation Model Toward Carbon Neutrality in the Port of Kobe’.

The study will be conducted under the framework of “Hydrogen Society Construction Technology Development/Regional Hydrogen Utilization Technology Development” assigned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

The Port of Kobe Carbon-Neutral Port (CNP) Study Group will study and estimate CO2 emissions and reduction potential, hydrogen demand potential, and utilisation of hydrogen in the Port of Kobe.

Kobe City and Hanshin Port will assess the hydrogen demand for cargo handling machinery and mobility in the Port of Kobe and adjacent urban areas.

Iwatani will study hydrogen supply systems, including hydrogen supply sources, transport and storage methods, and costs to meet the above demand. Marubeni will lead the study on business models for hydrogen utilisation and the economics of carbon neutrality at the Port of Kobe.

The consortium will also explore the potential hydrogen demand for stand-alone hydrogen power generation for electricity demand after evaluating the hydrogen utilisation for port carbon neutrality.

The study will also be conducted with the support and cooperation of the Port of Kobe CNP Study Group, the Council, and each participant company to move toward future demonstration and implementation. The study report will be finalised by March 2023.

The Kobe/Kansai Hydrogen Utilization Council in which Marubeni, Iwatani and Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC participate has also been discussing the potential hydrogen demand for carbon neutrality at the Port of Kobe based on the assumption that hydrogen will be imported from overseas around 2030.