Perth-company with UWA hydrogen technology signs deal with Japan

Seeking to commercialise hydrogen technology developed by the University of Western Australia, Perth-based Hazer Group has entered into a somewhat vague agreement with Japan’s Chubu Electric Power Company and engineering firm Chiyoda Corporation.

April 11, 2023 Bella Peacock

The Hazer Process enables the effective conversion of natural gas, and similar feedstocks, into hydrogen and high quality graphite, using iron ore as a process catalyst.

Image: Hazer Group

Under the agreement, the trio will investigate setting up facility in Japan’s Chubu region with Hazer’s proprietary technology that uses methane feedstocks to produce hydrogen, capturing the process’ carbon in the form of solid graphite.

This technology was originally developed at the University of Western Australia and bought by Hazer Group, which is currently testing its technology in its Commercial Demonstration Plant in Munster, south of Perth. This demonstration plant is hoping to start producing hydrogen in the second half of this year.

Coming back to its Japan plans, Hazer’s non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japanese energy company Chubu Electric Power Company and engineering firm Chiyoda Corporation will see the parties jointly prepare a ‘Project Development Plan’ for a production facility in central Japan. The facility’s aim would be to produce “clean” hydrogen and graphitic carbon.

The facility would ultimately be targeting between 50,000 and 100,000 tonnes of hydrogen production per annum, though the initial target would sit at just 2,500 and 10,000 tonnes per annum.

The parties have given themselves more than a year to deliver the project plan. If they decide the facility is viable, the initial start up would take place “in the late 2020s,” the companies say.

Earlier this month, the Japanese government announced plans to increase its hydrogen supply target to 12 million tonne per annum by 2040, a sixfold increase over the current target of 2 million tonne per annum.

Hazer described Japan as a key target market for its technology, also listing Singapore and South Korea.

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