Welcome to the World's First "Hydrogen Hotel": Energy from Waste Plastics Recycling
SINGAPORE, July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As marine pollution becomes a global issue, the public and private sectors are making progress to combat this problem. In Japan, Toshiba is using its advancements in hydrogen energy in an innovative 'Hydrogen Hotel' project, to help Kawasaki City overcome the city's pollution problem.
The world's very first "Hydrogen Hotel"
Opened in June 1, 2018, the hydrogen hotel in
Kawasaki City is an innovative project, where the hotel creates hydrogen from
waste plastics to supply about 30% of the energy the hotel needs. In the first
year after its opening, the hotel ran a test in which it recycles even the
amenities used in the hotel rooms (toothbrushes, hair combs) as feedstocks for
hydrogen production.
Headquartered in Kawasaki City, and having researched fuel cell technologies
since the 1960s, Toshiba has developed a product called "H2Rex™", a pure
hydrogen fuel cell system that converts hydrogen to heat and electric power
without producing CO2. At the time of the project, Toshiba had already
implemented the system in more than 100 sites, including supermarkets and
convenience stores.
The project required the linkage of each step in the supply chain, from the
waste plastics to the hotel, one by one. The important thing was figuring out
how to connect this hydrogen supply chain within Kawasaki City.
By connecting the hotel to the hydrogen pipeline, it enables for the
high-volume, stable supply of hydrogen, and also helps make the process more
low-carbon, since the delivery will not produce any CO2 emissions. The entire
supply chain would produce approximately 80% less CO2 emissions than the use of
existing energy sources.
The disposal of waste plastics is a social issue not just in Japan, but in
areas throughout the world. Toshiba aims to use the knowledge gained from the
hydrogen hotel project and provide it as a global solution in the future.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Toshiba Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
Corporate Communications Department
tapl-cc@ml.toshiba.co.jp