Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has started a demonstration project jointly with Tokuyama Corporation (Tokuyama) and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) to operate a data center using by-product hydrogen and a stationary fuel cell (FC) power station designed to reuse FC systems from fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The three companies have been discussing and preparing for the launch of the demonstration project since June 2023, when this project was proposed to and adopted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as one of the projects for the “Development of Technologies for Realizing a Hydrogen Society/Development of Technologies for Regional Hydrogen Utilization.”
In this demonstration project, a stationary FC power station that Honda has developed, based on the assumption of reusing fuel cells recovered from FCEVs, utilizes by-product hydrogen produced by Tokuyama’s saltwater electrolysis business to generate electricity and supply it to a distributed data center operated by Mitsubishi.
Through this demonstration project, the three companies will explore the potential of reusing automotive FC systems for stationary FC power station applications and verify the possibility of contributing to 1) a reduction in the economic burden on customers who will install and operate stationary FC power stations and 2) the decarbonization of electric power through the effective use of FC systems.
A further increase in data center power demand is expected in the long run due to the advancement of technologies that require large-volume data processing, such as generative AI and automated driving. In the face of this market environment, by utilizing 1) by-product hydrogen, which can be produced and supplied stably with low carbon emissions, and 2) FCs designed to be reused, to supply electricity to distributed data centers, the three companies will strive to contribute to the “green transformation” (GX) of data centers and the digital transformation (DX) of municipalities and local businesses.
In this demonstration, electricity from multiple sources, such as 1) a stationary FC power station that utilizes by-product hydrogen, 2) the power grid, 3) stationary batteries, and 4) renewable energy sources, will be combined to verify a more efficient and optimal power configuration for different patterns of operation.
Demonstration use cases for Honda’s stationary fuel cell power station powered by by-product hydrogen
The following specific patterns of stationary FC power station utilization, based on various possible scenarios, will be demonstrated by switching among these operation patterns via an energy management system (EMS):
Use as a backup power source.
Use as an off-grid primary power source.
Use for peak shaving of grid electricity consumption.
Use for grid supply-demand balancing, including supplying electricity back to the grid.
In addition to verifying the practicality and business viability of stationary FC power station operation, a wide range of potential applications will be explored through this demonstration project.
Honda is focused on the potential of hydrogen toward the realization of a carbon-neutral society and has been conducting research and development of hydrogen technologies and FCEVs for more than 30 years. Honda has identified four core domains for its fuel cell system application—fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), commercial vehicles, stationary power stations, and construction machinery—and has been working to further expand opportunities.
Find out more about ARC Advisory Group's Coverage of Developments in Hydrogen Technology and the Data Center Market.