In a bid to eliminate CO2 emissions from the facility, Denso Corporation has launched a pilot programme to test a new energy management system at its Nishio Plant in Japan.
At the Nishio plant, the equipment demonstrates how to manage energy more efficiently by charging and discharging batteries and controlling Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) power generation according to factory power demand.
The demonstration will begin with using city gas and aim to flexibly adapt to societal trends by exploring the mixed use of carbon-neutral gases, such as hydrogen, along with natural gas or the exclusive use of carbon-neutral gases. The results of this demonstration will inform carbon-neutral activities at Denso Fukushima Corporation.
As demonstrations such as this progress, the company will offer solutions that can be applied to other manufacturing industries and society, such as industrial equipment at plants and commercial and business facilities, to achieve carbon neutrality in society. It will continue to take on challenges to develop environmentally-friendly technologies through various demonstrations and help realise carbon neutrality.
The facility energy management system used in the trial consists of a SOFC developed by the company and a storage battery for transmitting electricity to the plant. It also includes a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) system, which enables the use of an electric vehicle as a storage battery to connect to and mutually utilise the power grid of electric utility companies, along with solar panels. This system has been newly installed within Nishio Plant's 'Pocket Park.'
A SOFC is a device that generates electricity using hydrogen as fuel. Unlike solar power, it can generate electricity steadily without being influenced by weather conditions. The device incorporates thermal management technology and fuel recycling technology, cultivated through automotive components, aiming for the world's highest power generation efficiency of 65%.
A press release from the company noted that for years it has been working to maximise the value of its two great causes - Green and Peace of Mind, under the philosophy of “Bringing hope for the future for our planet, society, and all people,” a key component in the long-term policy 2030.
In the green domain, the company is pursuing efforts in the three fields of “Monozukuri (manufacturing),” “mobility products,” and “energy use” to realise carbon neutrality. The new demonstration represents one of many initiatives in the energy usage category.
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