Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that it will enter a vehicle equipped with a developmental hydrogen-powered engine at the five-hour-long Super Taikyu Race in Autopolis, which takes place from July 31 to August 1, 2021. The hydrogen engine is being developed as part of Toyota’s efforts to realize a carbon-neutral mobility society.
A vehicle equipped with a hydrogen engine races in the Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race
Just as in the previous round, the vehicle will be entered under the ORC ROOKIE Racing banner, and Toyota President Akio Toyoda will participate in the race as the driver Morizo. By entering a hydrogen-powered vehicle that uses green hydrogen produced locally in Kyushu, Toyota intends to further strengthen the hydrogen-centered partnerships it enjoys with other industries in Kyushu.
The hydrogen engine Corolla participated in its first race at the Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race, which took place at Fuji Speedway on May 21, 2021, with the goal of accelerating the pace of development of its hydrogen engine. In the two or so months since the race, Toyota has implemented a number of improvements both to the car and to its related hydrogen infrastructure.
By participating at Autopolis, Toyota hopes to identify any potential issues under tough conditions, and so accelerate the pace of its development. The company will also procure green hydrogen produced locally for local consumption from Obayashi and Toyota Motor Kyushu, which support its attempts to develop a hydrogen engine. In this way, Toyota will contribute to the use and production of green hydrogen, increase energy choice, and thereby contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality.
Kyushu has a high proportion of renewable energy usage, and extensive research into hydrogen is carried out in this region; indeed, Toyota Motor Kyushu is also a proactive user of hydrogen energy. Through its development of a hydrogen engine, Toyota hopes to establish new partnerships and regional collaborations with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality and a hydrogen society in Kyushu.
Making use of engine technologies developed in Japan over many years, hydrogen engines represent a new choice in Toyota’s efforts to realize carbon neutrality. Both in the Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race in May, and in the upcoming Super Taikyu Race in Autopolis in July and August, Toyota has benefitted hugely from the cooperation of many affiliated companies. In order to safeguard employment in the automotive industry, Toyota will continue to develop hydrogen engines together with the 5.5 million people in the automotive industry and various other partners.
For more information, visit https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/35790602.html.
The partners of the Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub, namely Shell, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Vattenfall and the municipal company Warme Hamburg can continue to be optimistic about receiving EU funding to implement their plans. The project in Hamburg has been included in the German Federal Ministry of Economics’ shortlist of projects under consideration for funding under the EU’s “Important Projects of Common European Interest” (IPCEI) program.
The shortlist includes 62 projects from initially around 200 individual projects that applied for funding under the IPCEI program. The HH-WIN project, by the Hamburg gas network, which will provide the pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen transport in Hamburg, is also on the short list.
The companies Shell, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Vattenfall and municipal company Warme Hamburg are planning how they can jointly produce hydrogen from wind and solar power at the Hamburg-Moorburg power plant site and utilize it in its vicinity. In addition to the construction of a scalable electrolyser with an initial output of 100 megawatts, the further development of the site into a so-called “Green Energy Hub” is planned. This includes the exploration of the extent to which the existing infrastructure of the Moorburg location can be used for the production of energy from renewable sources. In this context, concepts for the necessary logistics chains and storage options for hydrogen will also be considered. Subject to final investment decision and according to the current state of planning, once the site has been cleared, the production of green hydrogen is anticipated in the course of 2025 – making the electrolyser one of the largest plants in Europe.
The four partner companies view the energy location as having ideal conditions for further use. It is connected to both the national 380,000 volt transmission network and the 110,000 volt network of the City of Hamburg. In addition, overseas ships can call at the location directly and use the quay and port facilities as an import terminal. The municipal gas network company also intends to expand a hydrogen network in the port within ten years and is already working on the necessary distribution infrastructure. Numerous potential customers for green hydrogen are located near the site, thus enabling the project to cover the entire hydrogen value chain – from generation to storage, transport and utilization in various sectors. With these prerequisites, the Moorburg location is optimal for the German federal state of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Northern Germany and can become a potential starting point for the development of a hydrogen economy.
The next step is a so-called “matchmaking” at EU level, which aims to bring together projects with a similar focus in the various EU Member States.
About MHI Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, logistics & infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on www.spectra.mhi.com.
The Kobe/Kansai Hydrogen Utilization Council (hereinafter, “Council”), in which Mitsubishi Power, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, participates as a member, has prepared a report entitled “Kobe/Kansai Hydrogen Utilization Council Report – Organizing a Future Vision for a Hydrogen Society and Quantifying Supply and Demand”.
The Council has formulated a future vision for the Kobe/Kansai area, and estimated the potential hydrogen demand, supply volume and price based on this vision. The Council subsequently quantified the hydrogen supply chain around the year 2030, identified potential issues, and formulated an action plan for realizing their vision.
Over the years, Mitsubishi Power has built a fully integrated system at its Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture that encompasses all aspects from development, design and manufacture of gas turbines to demonstration and verification using in-house facilities, and with this comprehensive capability the company has worked to commercialize high-reliability carbon-free power generation technologies and products. Going forward, through the activities of the Council, which was launched in September 2020, Mitsubishi Power looks to contribute to realization of a sustainable decarbonized society, and to solve diverse issues faced by our global society.
