Asahi Kasei awarded Tanahashi Prize for long-term operation of 10 MW alkaline-water electrolysis system
- Asahi Kasei's NEDO-funded 10 MW Namie alkaline-water electrolysis pilot has operated since March 2020 to validate long-term hydrogen production stability.
- A March 2024 Kawasaki pilot runs four 0.8 MW modules in parallel to test multi-modular commercial operation, component durability, grid-response to PV/wind fluctuations, and frequent start-stop cycles.
- Projects support a Green Innovation Fund–backed green ammonia demonstration with JGC and target commercialization above 100 MW by coupling multiple 10 MW modules.
- The Electrochemical Society of Japan awarded the Tanahashi Prize in March 2026 to six Asahi Kasei engineers for the system's development and long-term operation.
Award
Six Asahi Kasei engineers received the Tanahashi Prize from the Electrochemical Society of Japan (est. 1952) for developing and demonstrating long-term operation of a 10 MW alkaline-water electrolysis system; the ceremony was held 18 March in Tokyo.
Namie 10 MW pilot
A NEDO-funded 10 MW pilot plant in Namie, Fukushima, has operated since March 2020 to validate long-term stability and efficiency of large-scale alkaline-water electrolysis under real-world conditions.
Kawasaki multi-modular pilot
A March 2024 Kawasaki project runs four 0.8 MW test modules in parallel, using cells and membranes sized for commercial units to assess component durability, response to simulated PV/wind power fluctuations, and performance during frequent start-stop cycles.
Demonstrations and scaling
The pilot plants have provided stable hydrogen supply to nearby stations and supported demonstrations including a Green Innovation Fund–backed green ammonia project with JGC; Asahi Kasei intends to commercialize by coupling multiple 10 MW modules to exceed 100 MW, using demonstration data to reduce commercialization risk and validate scale-up under diverse operating conditions.
Source: Asahi Kasei