Japanese Plant Turns Sewage into Clean Hydrogen

Renewable hydrogen systems manufacturer Ways2H and its shareholder Japan Blue Energy have completed a plant in Tokyo that will convert sewage sludge into renewable hydrogen.

The green hydrogen will supply fuel cell vehicles and will also be used for power generation.

The facility was developed and built in partnership with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Toda Corporation, Tokyu Construction, Chiyoda Kenko and researchers at Tokyo University of Science to help Japan meet growing demand for renewable hydrogen and creating a market for sustainable disposal of waste.

The waste-to-hydrogen facility, located at the Sunamachi Water Reclamation Center near Tokyo Bay, will process one tonne of dried sewage sludge per day, to generate 40-50kg of hydrogen per day, enough to fuel 10 passenger vehicles or 25 fuel-cell e-bikes.

"Renewable hydrogen is an important clean energy fuel for Tokyo and the world," said Naoki Dowaki, Ways2H board member and president of Japan Blue Energy, the technical partner on the project and process patent owner.

"We spent over a decade developing this advanced process to convert waste into hydrogen and it is encouraging to see hydrogen demand growing in Japan and globally, as we complete our first Tokyo hydrogen production facility."

With construction, led by Toda Corporation, now complete, the companies plan to start ramping up operations by mid-2021.

In addition to wastewater sludge, plastic, paper, municipal solid waste and other refuse will be processed.

The waste is heated to a high temperature and converted into a gas, from which pure hydrogen is extracted. The facility is carbon-neutral and generates its own fuel in a closed loop process.