Japan’s green Innovation Fund selects JPSC JV as preferred hydrogen producer

An Australian joint venture between Japanese organizations J-Power and Sumitomo Corporation (JPSC JV) has been selected as the preferred hydrogen provider to Japan Suiso Energy (JSE).

The clean hydrogen gas will be produced in Gippsland, Victoria and JSE will liquify the hydrogen for export to Japan. The JV will produce the clean hydrogen, extracted from Latrobe Valley coal with CO2 capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

J-POWER successfully produced 99.999% pure hydrogen gas, extracted from Latrobe Valley coal, as part of the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Pilot Project, which achieved a world-first liquid hydrogen supply chain with the delivery of the hydrogen at the Port of Kobe in Japan in February 2022.

Jeremy Stone said; “Building on the success of HESC and J-Power’s 166MW Osaki CoolGen project, we are excited to be one step closer to making commercial-scale hydrogen production in Victoria a reality. This is a major milestone and a recognition of Gippsland’s unique ability to help reduce global CO2 emissions through the reliable production of large quantities of cost-competitive and clean hydrogen.”

The JPSC JV will initially produce between 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes per annum of gaseous clean hydrogen. Future potential production of 225,000 tonnes per annum, would reduce about 1.8 million tonnes per annum of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere (equivalent to the emissions of about 350,000 petrol cars).