Chapter 43
A Feasibility Study of a Japanese Power
to Gas Concept—A Case Study
of Rokkasho Village
Yuji Mizuno, Yuki Ishimoto, and Shigeki Iida
Abstract Power to Gas is a concept of producing hydrogen from intermittent renewable energies. In this study, the authors investigate the feasibility of a Japanese Power
to Gas concept. The authors focus on Rokkasho Village in Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
The area has affluent renewable energy potential and already has a lot of wind turbines
and photovoltaic panels. It also has very cold winter weather and large amount of
fossil fuels are used for room and water heating. In order to reduce such fossil
fuel usage and CO 2 emission in the area, the authors propose a fuel cell combined
heat and power (CHP) system for cold area with local hydrogen supply chain, and
analyze the feasibility of it. The energy and material balance, cost of hydrogen,
and CO 2 emission reduction effects are studied. From the electricity and fossil fuel
consumption data of public facilities in Rokkasho Village, appropriate fuel cell CHP
facilities are selected and hydrogen demand of them are calculated. Hydrogen supply
is calculated from wind speed and sun light intensity data of the Rokkasho Village,
renewable energy capacity, and threshold of electricity supply usable for hydrogen
production on renewable energy output. Hydrogen storage capacities are determined
to balance the supply and demand. The CAPEX is calculated based on the equipment
in the CHP system and OPEX is calculated from electricity cost and industrial water
price. The reduction of CO 2 emission is calculated based on the amount of heat and
electricity supply replaced with hydrogen CHP. The result indicates that 1. hydrogen
production only from “excess” renewable energy is not economically feasible, 2.
operation of electrolyzer can reduce the size of hydrogen production facilities and
the cost of hydrogen, and 3. Hydrogen combined heat and power reduces more CO 2
than just supplying heat from hydrogen.
Keywords Renewable energy system · Power to gas · Renewable hydrogen ·
Combined heat and power · Fuel cell
Y. Mizuno (B) · Y. Ishimoto · S. Iida
The Institute of Applied Energy, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: y-mizuno@iae.or.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_43
647
A Feasibility Study of a Japanese Power
to Gas Concept—A Case Study
of Rokkasho Village
Yuji Mizuno, Yuki Ishimoto, and Shigeki Iida
Abstract Power to Gas is a concept of producing hydrogen from intermittent renewable energies. In this study, the authors investigate the feasibility of a Japanese Power
to Gas concept. The authors focus on Rokkasho Village in Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
The area has affluent renewable energy potential and already has a lot of wind turbines
and photovoltaic panels. It also has very cold winter weather and large amount of
fossil fuels are used for room and water heating. In order to reduce such fossil
fuel usage and CO 2 emission in the area, the authors propose a fuel cell combined
heat and power (CHP) system for cold area with local hydrogen supply chain, and
analyze the feasibility of it. The energy and material balance, cost of hydrogen,
and CO 2 emission reduction effects are studied. From the electricity and fossil fuel
consumption data of public facilities in Rokkasho Village, appropriate fuel cell CHP
facilities are selected and hydrogen demand of them are calculated. Hydrogen supply
is calculated from wind speed and sun light intensity data of the Rokkasho Village,
renewable energy capacity, and threshold of electricity supply usable for hydrogen
production on renewable energy output. Hydrogen storage capacities are determined
to balance the supply and demand. The CAPEX is calculated based on the equipment
in the CHP system and OPEX is calculated from electricity cost and industrial water
price. The reduction of CO 2 emission is calculated based on the amount of heat and
electricity supply replaced with hydrogen CHP. The result indicates that 1. hydrogen
production only from “excess” renewable energy is not economically feasible, 2.
operation of electrolyzer can reduce the size of hydrogen production facilities and
the cost of hydrogen, and 3. Hydrogen combined heat and power reduces more CO 2
than just supplying heat from hydrogen.
Keywords Renewable energy system · Power to gas · Renewable hydrogen ·
Combined heat and power · Fuel cell
Y. Mizuno (B) · Y. Ishimoto · S. Iida
The Institute of Applied Energy, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: y-mizuno@iae.or.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_43
647