The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) of Japan announced on October 14, 2004 that it has succeeded in producing hydrogen from woodchips using a continuous production system. The system has a throughput of 10 kg/day, based on a carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption gasification technology. The fuel gas produced is clean and CO2-free, and contains 83 percent hydrogen. According to the institute, this new technology has enabled the world's first continuous production of a clean, CO2-free fuel gas, as well as production of a fuel having greater than an 80 percent hydrogen concentration.

The Japanese technology for CO2 absorption gasification, which uses calcium to absorb CO2, was developed through collaboration between AIST and the Center for Coal Utilization, Japan (CCUJ). Both organizations have worked on the Clean Gas Production from Biomass Project with subsidies from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since fiscal 2002. The AIST and CCUJ are in charge of the research and development for the creation and operation of the continuous production system, and Hiroshima University and Chugoku Electric Power Co. are in charge of process design and economic feasibility studies.

The project has opened the way for the clean fuel production on a commercial scale by finding a solution to the challenge of continuous production. The AIST plans to work further on steady operation for longer time periods as well as optimal operation of the system. In the future it will be possible to build hydrogen stations next to sawmills to produce hydrogen from biomass.



http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_research/2004/20041027_2/20041027_2.html

Posted: 2005/02/03 11:40:01 AM
Japanese version

TAG Ecosystem , Energy , Government , Non-manufacturing industry , Technology , University/Research institute