Beverage giant Suntory has announced its mid-to-long term green hydrogen strategy, aiming to integrate green hydrogen into its own operations while also supplying local industries in Japan.
Suntory’s plan comes as Japan continues efforts to build a national hydrogen supply network following the introduction of its Basic Hydrogen Strategy in 2017.
The company said it sees hydrogen as a key element of its sustainability goals and is working to establish a local production and consumption model in Yamanashi Prefrecture, an area with significant renewable energy potential.
The initiative is linked to the Yamanashi Model Power-to-Gas system, which is expected to begin operating in 2025. At 16 megawatts (MW), the facility will be the largest of its kind in Japan and will produce green hydrogen using renewable energy and local water resources.
The project is being developed in cooperation with Yamanashi Prefecture and nine technology partners.
As for hydrogen use within Suntory’s own operations, the first phase of its plans will begin later this year. At its Minami Alps Hakushu Water Plant and Hakushu Distillery, Suntory will use hydrogen-powered boilers for heat sterilisation. In tandem, the company is studying hydrogen’s use in whisky distillation.
Long-term vision
From 2027, the company intends to expand its role to cover the entire hydrogen value chain, working with partners to produce, distribute and sell hydrogen. This includes a collaboration with Tomoe Shokai on logistics and sales, with distribution planned both locally in Yamanashi and to Tokyo.
Suntory is also considering hydrogen applications at other facilities in Japan. It is evaluating options for using hydrogen at its Chita Distillery in partnership with the Central Japan Hydrogen and Ammonia Association and is planning for hydrogen integration at its Takasago Plant in Hyogo Prefecture in the early 2030s.
This strategy is part of Suntory’s broader plan to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.
Suntory Holdings’ chief sustainability officer Masaaki Fujiwara said: “As a corporation sustained by the gifts of nature and water, pursuing initiatives on hydrogen was a natural development.
“As a new approach to engaging with water, we aim to contribute to the realisation of a hydrogen society by fully leveraging and expanding the potential of hydrogen energy.”
National Gas secures funding for underground hydrogen storage design
In related news, in the UK, National Gas has received £500,000 in funding from Ofgem to support the development of a new underground hydrogen storage technology, with a pilot project potentially slated for 2026.
The funding will support further design and modelling of the H2FlexiStore system, which is being developed by Edinburgh-based energy storage company Gravitricity.
H2FlexiStore is designed to store up to 100 tonnes of green hydrogen in specially engineered underground shafts. The system is intended to offer flexible siting options, either along the National Gas network or near major industrial hydrogen users.
It is being developed in partnership with a consortium including Southern Gas Networks, Guidehouse, the University of Edinburgh, Energy Reform and Premtech.
The funding comes from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund and follows a feasibility study completed in 2024 that highlighted the potential for nodal storage to replace the energy buffering capability currently provided by linepack in natural gas systems.
As hydrogen does not offer the same network-based energy storage capacity, strategically placed underground storage could help maintain supply stability.
The current funding will support a six-month design and modelling phase. It will determine whether this new storage approach can meet technical and regulatory requirements ahead of a full-scale deployment.
A full-scale demonstration project may be funded in a third stage of the programme.
National Gas’ innovation analyst Kelvin Shillinglaw said: “This project is a critical step forward in ensuring the UK’s gas networks are ready for a hydrogen-powered future.
“By embedding resilience with operational hydrogen storage directly into the transmission system, we can maintain operational flexibility, reduce costs for consumers and support the decarbonisation of heat and power.”
Article Credit: edie