February 2012

Sharp Corporation

・Research and Development of Photovoltaic Power Generation New Energy Technology/Research and Development of Advanced Solar Cell Technology/Development of Manufacturing Technologies for Ultra-high Efficiency Crystalline Compound Solar Cell Modules (FY2001‒FY2003),etc. Developing Solar Cells to Achieve Record-breaking 40% Conversion Efficiency

There are high expectations regarding solar cells as a means of renewable energy. To continue the spread of their use, further enhancement of module conversion efficiency is critical. For many years, Sharp Corporation has been committed to conducting research and development on a variety of solar cells, such as compound solar cells, through the Research and Development of Photovoltaic Power Generation Technology project launched by NEDO in 2001. Applying the expertise it acquired through NEDO’s project, Sharp developed triple-junction compound solar cells which today are the primary solar cells Triple-junction compound solar cell achieves a mounted in satellites used around the world. In 2002, record-breaking 36.9% conversion efficiency. Conversion efficiency of a non-concentrated solar cell at the the company’s triple-junction compound solar cell research stage as of November 2011 was certified by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which has led to its widespread use in the aerospace industry. In 2004, cells were installed in a small scientific satellite named "REIMEI" 2009, they Triple junction compound Polycrystalline silicon solar solar cells for space use cells for residential use were adopted for the greenhouse gas observation Energy conversion efficiency satellite "IBUKI". Solar photo-energy distribution As a result of its research and development efforts, Sharp achieved a solar cell conversion efficiency of 35.8% in 2009, a world record. In 2011, the company broke this record by increasing cell conversion Top efficiency to 36.9%. Today, Sharp is continuing its research and development efforts toward achieving a Middle

cell conversion efficiency of 40% (non-concentrated) Bottom and 50% (concentrated) by 2025. The company is also working to move its concentrated photovoltaic Compared with polycrystalline silicon solar cell, a power generation system to the practical application triple-junction compound solar cell is able to convert a wide range of sun light to electricity, thus achieving high stage. The concentrated solar module has a target conversion efficiency. conversion efficiency of more than 40%, which will be achieved with through the use of a specially designed lens and other Sharp Corporation components.

8 cies an annualrateof30to50%.InJapan,governmentpoli- Since 2003,solarcellproductionhasgrownrapidlyat becoming alow-carbonsociety. amount ofattentionaswecontinuetomovetoward infinite sourceofenergy̶hasbeenreceivingagreat Solar powergeneration,whichusessunlight̶an Technology fortheSolarCellMarket New HybridSolarCells:Promising KANEKA CORPORATION equivalent to55 MWanddemandissteadily increasing. released alineofsolarcells withanenergyoutput focusing itseffortsinthisarea. In2010,thecompany and blendwellwiththeirsurroundings. Thus,Kanekais demand isgrowingforsolar cells thatcanintegrateinto for Europeancountries,includingGermany.InJapan, Kaneka hasalreadystartedproducinglargemodules efficiency maximizescostreductions. sconversion business. Inparticular,improvingasolarcell’ and loweringcostsareimportantfactorsinthesolarcell Conserving resources,improvingproductionefficiency through theuseoftransparentinterlayers. normal tandem-typecellsbyefficientlycapturinglight boasts aconversionefficiencythatexceedsof conversion efficiency.Kaneka’ The mostimportantaspectofsolarcellperformanceis silicon andthin-filmmicrocrystallinesilicon. panel, whichiscomposedofduallayersamorphous use differ,Kanekadeveloped a hybrid in whichtheireffectivewavelengthsandconditionsfor long-wavelength infraredrays.Tomakeuseofthemerits short-wavelength ultravioletrays;thelatterabsorbs microcrystalline silicon.Theformerefficientlyabsorbs duction ofasolarcell;amorphoussiliconandthin-film Generally, twotypesofmaterialsareusedinthepro- ny’ HYBRID™ solarmodule,whichincorporatesthecompa- solar celldevelopment,mostrecentlylaunchinganew solar cellmarket,KanekaCorporationhasfocusedon Amidst mountingexpectationsfortheexpansionof 2009. holds thathaveinstalledsolarpowergeneratorssince capacity haverevivedsubsidiesearmarkedforhouse- ・Development ofTechnologytoAcceleratethe Generation Systems(FY2000‒FY2005) Dissemination ofPhotovoltaicPower s uniquetechnologies. to increaseinstalledsolarpower March 2009 s newHYBRID™solar tandem-type solar generation cell Photovoltaic modulesincorporatedintotiles New HYBRID™photovoltaicpanel interlayers, thusenhancingitsconversion efficiency. Sunlight iscapturedandsandwiched betweentransparent Cross-section ofKaneka’sNewHYBRID™ solarcell Sunlight

Back electrode Thin-film microcrystallinesilicon Transparent interlayers Amorphous silicon Transparent electrode Glass 9 Energy New KANEKA CORPORATION February, March 2010

SHOWA SHELL SEKIYU K.K. ・New Sunshine Project/Research and Development of New Energy Photovoltaic Power Generation Technology (FY1993‒FY2000),etc.

Mass Production of New Non-silicon Solar Cells

The development of renewable energy is gaining ufacturing plant, the world’s largest, with an annual momentum as a solution to the depletion of fossil production of 900 MW, which expanded the compa- fuels and global warming. Renewable energy is ny’s overall production scale into gigawatts. Through expected to play a key role in alleviating or resolving Solar Frontier, Showa Shell is utilizing technologies these problems, and solar cells of varying materials developed through NEDO projects to continue to and power-generating mechanisms are being devel- expand its solar cell business, which has become one oped amid fierce competition throughout the world. of its core businesses. There is one solar cell for which specific goals have been set towards resolving issues associated with their development and performance, namely improv- ing energy conversion efficiency, establishing stable manufacturing technologies and reducing costs. Con- tinuous progress is being made to achieve these goals with development and performance enhancements being rapidly applied to an innovative new solar cell that shows great promise̶the CIS thin-film solar cell under development by Show Shell Sekiyu. CIS denotes the components that comprise the solar cell; copper (Cu), indium (In) and selenium (Se). Thin film laminated on glass substrate Showa Shell Sekiyu started developing this solar cell as part of the New Sunshine Project, which was launched in 1993. In subsequent NEDO projects, the company sought to realize the high potential that is Monocrystalline silicon unique to CIS-based solar cells by developing large-ar- Crystalline Polycrystalline silicon ea structurally-integrated solar cells. By consistently silicon Silicon improving the manufacturing process and optimizing Amorphous Microcrystalline Thin-film silicon silicon silicon

the technology’s design, the company was successful in Multi-junction tandem (hybrid type) III-V compound achieving goals that were set for each project. Solar cells multi-junction

Chemical In 2006, Showa Shell Sekiyu formed a wholly-owned CIS compound

subsidiary, called Showa Shell Solar, to operate its Cadmium telluride (CdTe) CIS-based thin-film solar cell business. In 2007, the Organic subsidiary started manufacturing and distributing the Main types of solar cells CIS-based cells and sales continue to increase globally

SHOWA SHELL SEKIYU K.K. (In April 2010 the subsidiary was renamed Solar Fron- tier). In 2011, Showa Shell built its third solar cell man-

10 (manufacturing), Japan’ these challengesfromtheviewpointofmonozukuri tion. production timesandachievingcontinuousproduc- seeking toaddressarereducinglarge-areasolarcells duction costs.Themainchallengestheindustryis ever, numerousotherfactorsdeterminesolarcellpro- focused mainlyonenergyconversionefficiency.How- Technology forSharplyEnhancingSolarCellProductivity Development ofLarge-areaHigh-speedFilmDeposition Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries,Ltd. equipment requiredtomake them. development ofsolarcells andthemanufacturing marine, aviationandindustrial sectors,MHIpromotes manufacturing “machines thatmakemachines” forthe technological expertiseacquiredindevelopingand ment willbeneededtoproducethem.Applyingits global scale,high-performancemanufacturingequip- and MHIoffices. tricity atavarietyofthemeparks,educationalfacilities stechnologyisbeingusedtogenerateelec- company’ sold atotalofabout100MWenergy.InJapan,the for renewableenergy.Asoftheend2011,MHIhad which havebeenquicktoadoptafeed-intariffsystem exported tocountriessuchasGermanyandSpain, 97%. five timesfaster,withanactualproductionyieldof collaboration isafilmdepositionspeedthatabout to enhancefilmdepositionspeed.Theresultofthis surface areas(1.4mx1.1m)aswellatechnology a techniqueformanufacturingsolarcellswithlarge ects betweenindustryanduniversities,MHIdeveloped in mostsolarcells.ThroughcollaborativeNEDOproj- cells thatusesmallamountsofsilicon,amaterialused ment andproductionofsiliconbasedthin-filmsolar technology, focusingitsendeavorsonthedevelop- ・Development ofAdvancedManufacturingTechnologyfor (FY2000‒FY2001),etc. Photovoltaic PowerGenerationSystems Once solarcellmanufacturingiscarriedoutona Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries(MHI)hastakenon The solarcellsmanufacturedbyMHIarebeing Until now,theracetodevelopsolarcellshas March 2010 s competitiveadvantagein speed Film deposition impact fromanyprocessinthelinethathasstopped. The star-shapeenablesshort,tandemly-arrangedlinesandminimizesthe Plasma CVDsystemformanufacturingamorphoussiliconsolarcells Eco SkyHouse(Yokohama,Kanagawa) Improvement ratesinlarge-areahigh-speedfilm Productivity improvesby42times (Substrate sizexfilmdepositionspeed) deposition technologyforsolarcells speed Film deposition Today 11

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Energy New Topics CASE 01 New Energy

From Hokkaido to Okinawa with an to inspect solar power facilities. Over experimental model three years, they inspected all of the panels of the 18 solar power plants After attending the seminar, Mr. Date owned by Kyushu Electric Power was able to participate in joint research Company. with the National Institute of Advanced During repeat inspections of many sites, 3 Industrial Science and Technology(AIST). it was found that there were actually He then learned from AIST about one of more faults in solar panels than NEDO’s New Energy Venture Business previously thought. It made sense that Technology Innovation Program projects faults would be found in solar panels that that had been publicly announced. had been used for a number of years, but 7 7. SOKODES being tested. For the integrated model, the green Realizing that this would be a good faults were also discovered in new panels circuit boards are installed in junction boxes at a mega solar power opportunity to help promote his as well. plant. company’s technology, Mr. Date and his The most common cause of faults was colleagues applied to participate in the connection failure in the circuits. It is With the integrated model, measure- project. His company then began the difficult to solder wires to solar panels, so ment data is automatically sent to a 1 development of a fault detection system vibrations can cause the wires to tear monitoring center via the Internet, which from 2009 as a commissioned project. away and disconnect when they are not enables remote monitoring of solar Mr. Date and his colleagues produced an soldered correctly. In addition, it was panels to be performed. 1. The portable SOKODES. This device experimental model of a solar panel fault discovered that there was a danger of fire can detect connection failures in solar panels and estimate the location of detector and then traveled across Japan from a wire igniting if open circuits are failures. 2. The device in the middle is neglected. the Ground Fault Detector 20G, which For The Future can detect ground faults, a type of short After obtaining this information and circuit. The device on the right is the SOKODES GF, which can detect the continuing to make improvements to the location of connection failures and ground faults in solar panels. 3. A mega solar detector, SOKODES, a portable detector Further Continuing to improve the power plant in Kyushu, where the integrated SOKODES model is installed that can estimate the location of faults in product improvement and starting then to provide remote monitoring of the status of faults. 4. Chairman and CTO solar panels in a short period of time, was taking it overseas marketing and sales Hiroshi Date showing an example of a finally completed. Furthermore, an fault in a solar panel. Faults can be created by even small separations of integrated detector for large-scale Even after the product was developed, soldering in solar panels. 2 4 facilities was developed by employing technological improvements continued. the technology of the portable detector. A new device capable of detecting earth 5 faults, a type of short circuit, as well as open 5. Technological 6 The First of Its Kind in Industry! SOKODES Was Developed for Use development at circuits was developed and introduced to CASE System JD. Toshiyuki Shigemura, Director, the market. Also, in consideration of an with Solar Panels to Quickly Detect Faults and Estimate Their Location Engineering and Development expanding global market, plans were 01 Department and sitting New Energy in the foreground, made to start overseas marketing and Reported in：January 2016 System JD Co., Ltd. played a key role in sales. Since 2015, the company has partici- product development. New Energy Venture Technology Innovation Project, etc. 6. COO Shigenori pated in NEDO’s Demonstration of Photo- Matsuo explaining the structure of the voltaic System Remote Maintenance integrated SOKODES model installed at a project and has carried out basic research mega solar power plant. related to the demonstration in Thailand. Because it is predicted that, as the use of Success Story expands globally, the demands for maintenance management of solar panels will increase as well, this company Japan’s shrinking semiconductor industry The company originally produced test used outside must develop faults as well. is aiming to expand sales of this devices The path that one startup chose programs for semiconductor inspections When he had the opportunity, he asked a inside and outside Japan. and supplied them to manufacturers. question about this at a seminar on solar After hitting a peak in the late 1980s and However, it became necessary for the power generation. In response, a seminar early 1990s, Japan’s semiconductor company to shift its business focus because participant from a manufacturing company industry, which held the largest share of the need for semiconductor inspections explained that it was very difficult to decreased as demand for semiconductors detect defects in solar panels at installa- the global semiconductor market, has ■New Energy Venture Technology Innovation Project declined. The founder and current chairman, tion sites. He also said that if there was a been shrinking since 1995. NEDO’s Role (FY2009-FY2012) However, the market for solar panels, a Hiroshi Date, tried to find a way to compete in simple fault tester available, it would be type of semiconductor product, continues the field of solar power, which is still continuing helpful. After hearing this, Mr. Date to expand globally. According to the to grow. decided to develop a system that could Renewables 2014 Global Status Report, At that time, it was commonly said that easily detect faults in solar panels by Since FY2007, NEDO has aimed to new energy industry and increasing the ists in technology, intellectual property, the amount of power produced by solar panels did not develop faults and utilizing the semiconductor inspection support venture business activities in new depth of the industrial structure for and management in order to support the crystalline silicon type solar cells, which that maintenance was not required until technology developed by his company. energy fields and foster related industries alternative energy. basic research necessary for commercial- are the major component of solar power long after a solar panel had been in order to promote technology develop- During a project, NEDO utilizes a stage ization, such as the creation of prototypes generation, increased by more than 20 installed. Mr. Date, with his extensive ment utilizing potential technology seeds gate system having multiple stages so as and the measurement of data, and all times from 1.9 million kW in 2005 to 43 experience in semiconductor inspec- of small and medium-sized enterprises as to refine technology seeds having a high research and development themes million kW in 2013. A company that paid tions, doubted such claims for a long well as venture companies. NEDO also level of potential for commercialization needed to achieve commercialization. In close attention to this trend was System time. He believed that because semiconduc- provides assistance for creating business based on various conditions in society. In this way NEDO aims to further promote JD Co., Ltd., a semiconductor venture tors that are carefully produced in clean plans and expanding business domains, each stage, NEDO provides hands-on the development, introduction, and popular- company located in Fukuoka. rooms can develop faults, solar panels thereby improving the efficiency of the support in cooperation with outside special- ization of innovations in new energy fields.

08 09 September ～ December 2012

NTT FACILITIES, INC ・New Electrical Power Network System Verification Studies / New Energy Quality-Based Electrical Power Supply System Verification Studies (FY2004-FY2007)

Realizing Energy Conservation with“DC for DC” ‒ Leave it up to a stable supply of electricity!

Currently, most of the electronic appliances that are commonly used operate on a direct current, and although the alternating current coming from an outlet is converted with an adaptor, as this creates a conver- sion loss, if the direct current could be used directly, effects of energy conservation can be expected. Espe- cially gathering attention is putting this to use at data centers where direct currents, from such as accumula- tors for measures against power failures and solar powered generators, a representative example of new energy electricity, can be used as is. NTT Facilities has been focusing on such character- Inside the server center, istic of direct currents for a while, and in proceeding all internal wirings are done using direct currents. with research and development of the“High Voltage Direct Current Power Supply System (DC380V)”, by obtaining the support of NEDO, participated in the world’s first pioneering verification studies conducted using direct currents at the Tohoku Fukushi University (located in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) and neighboring areas. In these studies, the realized effect of energy conservation was as high as 30%. The Great East Japan Earthquake also occurred during the verification experiments. Even when subject to a historical disaster, results miraculously displayed sta- bility of the power supply. Shaken by quakes of upper-6 on the seven-point Japanese scale during the Earthquake, although power failures lasted for 3 days The solar power battery integration converter (left) and accumulator with nearby commercial power supplying networks, (right) installed within the verification site. the supply of power was never lost at the verification site. Currently as of April, 2013, this system has been implemented throughout Japan at 10 locations includ- ing the verification sites, at 35 locations throughout the world, and in recent years, has been adopted for

NTT FACILITIES, INC use at a commercial data center.

12 mination ofresearch builtuponfromtheinitial NEDO other manufacturersisthisdownwind turbine,thecul- The mostsignificantdifference betweenFHIand company fromotherwindturbine manufacturers. ment effortsinsuchawayto clearlydifferentiatethe existing technologiesandalso focusingitsdevelop- applications forthislargewindturbine,incorporating FHI hassincesoughttoquicklydeveloppractical struction mucheasier. components, whichhasmadetransportationandcon- nacelle, aswellreducingtheliftweightofmain a downwinddesign.FHIalsofocusedondividingthe winds blowinguphill.Thisuniqueinnovationiscalled pole. Therotorplaneistiltedsothatitdirectlyfaces rotor locatedbehindboththenacelleandsupport started developingauniquewindturbinewiththe high upliftorarewindsblowinguphill,thecompany power generationonJapan’scomplexterrain,have that mosthigh-speedwinds,whichareeffectivefor Initially, FHIdevelopedupwindturbines,butrealizing sweeping alongthegroundhitsbladeshead-on. The bladesarealsoparalleltothepole,sothatwind and nacelle,astructurethathousesthegenerator. in front,orontheupwindsideofsupporttower upwind type,inwhichtherotatingbladesarelocated Today, mainstreamwindturbinesaretypicallyofthe achievement andhasdeveloped2MWmodels. the companyhascontinuedtobuilduponthis developed byFujiHeavyIndustries(FHI).Sincethen, result oftheprojectwasa100kWwindturbine turbines designedforJapan’sremoteislands.The In 1999,NEDOlaunchedaprojecttodevelopwind production. contributing tothenext-generationofwindpower resulted inavarietyoftechnicalachievementsthatare well-suited tothegeographyofthisislandcountry,has The developmentofwindturbinesinJapan,whichare innovative differencesinintricatetechnologicaldesign. but uponcloserinspectiontheircompositionexhibit to createenergy,maylookthesameatfirstglance, Wind turbines,whichharnessthepowerofwind Remote IslandstoLargeDownwindTurbines From WindPowerGeneratingSystemsfor Fuji HeavyIndustriesLtd. ・Technology DevelopmentofAdvancedWindTurbine Systems forRemoteIslands(FY1999‒FY2002) September ～ November2010 Downwind methodadvantageswhenextending plates(right) Downwind methodadvantagesforfloating windturbines(left) (tends tofacethewindindownwindmethod) Turbine tiltsdownwarddependingonwindthrust idWind Wind pidmto onidmto Upwindmethod Downwindmethod Upwind method Downwindmethod developed withHitachi,Ltd.bythecloseof2011. turbines aswell58largewindjointly expected toship21small-scale40and100kWwind as welloffshorewindpowergeneration.FHI promising forpowergenerationinmountainousareas project. Thisuniquewindturbineisconsideredtobe 2 MWwindturbineinstalled50mfromshore surface Sea maintained moreeasily. as thegapbetweenbladeandtoweris Downwind methodisbetterforbladeextension blades Low-rigidity Wind 13

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. Energy New July ～ September 2012

Zephyr Corporation

・Industrial Technology Practical Application Development New Energy Support Project / Research and Development Type Venture Technology Development Support Project (FY2003-FY2005)

Highly Efficient General Compact Wind Powered Generation System

Wind powered generation is a representative exam- for environmental education. Additionally, with sup- ple of new energy. However, conventional compact port from the Innovation Network Corporation of wind turbines had issues with power generating per- Japan, this system is actively being developed over- formance and durability, making practical applications seas where applications that can only be seen over- difficult. seas, such as with mobile base stations and non-pow- By obtaining support from NEDO, Zephyr has devel- ered regions of developing countries, have continued oped the“Airdolphin”, a new-model wind turbine. to grow, currently marking a total sales of 3,000 units Realizing an extremely compact size and weight as of March, 2013. reduction that enables installment in a variety of loca- In the renewable energy fixed price purchasing tions, on top of the cutting edge carbon fiber blades system made effective in 2012, the Airdolphin was the and its electronic control by highly advanced software, first model to obtain certification as a compact wind concepts of biomimetics (imitation of biological sys- turbine. tems) have been incorporated in creating a new idea for a wind turbine. A swing rudder developed based on hints obtained from how a carp deflects streams of water coming from its side using its tail fin, and a new mechanism to reduce rotational noise created based on an imitation of the structure of an owl’s wings have been implemented. Additionally, durability and safety has been improved by adopting a new screw-less casing structure based on hints gathered from tradi- tional Japanese crafts of detailed woodwork. Also, with the obtained support of NEDO, truck tests of the AIST have been performed to verify reli- ability during the period of the project. These devel-

opments have come to completion due to the industri- The swing-rudder method al-academic-government cooperation of 14 organiza- tions with Zephyr in the center. This system that starts to generate electricity from low wind speeds realizes a safe non-stopping operation even in strong and violent winds such as with typhoons, and is being sold since spring of 2006. Even after this, starting with Erimo-Misaki in Japan, field tests are being conducted throughout the world to collect data and continue development of an optimal control system. This system is domestically being sold to private homes, industries for energy conservation, selling of electricity, and emergency applications, local govern- ments for hybrid street lights used along with solar Zephyr Corporation Reliability tests being performed on the AIST test course power, and to schools for use as teaching materials

14 October 2011

METAWATER Co., Ltd. Bureau of Sewerage Tokyo Metropolitan Government New Energy

・Development of Technology for High Efficiency Biomass Energy Conversion (FY2003‒FY2005)

World’s First Gasification System for Sewage Sludge Transforms Fuel Gas into Power

Treatment of ever-increasing urban waste and reduces N2O emissions. This has contributed to an sewage sludge is a challenge that all cities share. As annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 87%, a means of resolving urban waste problems, use of equivalent to 12,500 tons of CO2. processing facilities capable of both incinerating waste and using the energy produced is on the rise. However, incinerating sewage sludge produces carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as nitrous oxide (N2O), which emits 310 times more greenhouse gas than

CO2. In 2003, with the support of the Tokyo Metropoli- tan Government Bureau of Sewerage, Tokyo Metro- politan Sewerage Service Corporation and Hokkaido University, METAWATER launched a NEDO-funded joint project with the Institute of Applied Energy and ernment Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop a gasification system for sewage sludge. The goal of the project was for the new system to use the energy produced Sludge dryer using waste heat by sewage sludge while also emitting fewer green- house gases. The system, which is now in use at the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Sewerage’s Kiyose Water Recycling Center, has successfully achieved this goal. Since sewage sludge is accumulated at the treat- ment site, the installation of new systems to collect and transport was not required. Sewage sludge is a resource that is easy to use compared to other forms of biomass. However, it can also present a challenge because it contains large amounts of water. MET- AWATER’s gasification system for sewage sludge incorporates dehydration /sludge drying, gasification, property modification, gas refining, power generation Gas engine and heat collection. Installed at the Kiyose Water Recycling Center in July 2010, the system now processes about 100 tons of sewage sludge daily. Because combustion heat is collected and used to dry the sludge, no other fuel is needed. Some of the facility’s power is also generat- ed during gas property modification. The primary advantage of this method, however, is that it sharply METAWATER Co., Ltd. / Bureau of Sewerage Tokyo Metropolitan Gov

15 Octorber 2013

Chugai Ro Co., Ltd.

New Energy ・Verification Tests and Results Survey for Biomass and Other Untapped Energy (FY2002-2005) ,etc.

Biomass Gasification Power Generation System that Contributes to Reducing CO2 Emissions and Enhancing the Local Vitality

“Woody biomass energy sources” such as wood chips, attention not only as a technology to alleviate global wood offcuts and timber from forest thinning are energy warming but also as a means of vitalizing the forestry resources that are attracting attention as carbon-neutral industry of the city.

fuels that will contribute greatly to reducing CO2 emissions. Chugai Ro Co., Ltd., a leading industrial furnace manufacturer, started research and development of woody biomass energy-based gasification power generation systems as a technology to alleviate global warming through utilization of Chugai Ro’s own technologies, in response to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. Japan has many biomass resources, but gathering biomass in large amounts is difficult, and it is necessary to establish systems that are suited to local characteristics such as the types and amounts of biomass generated. Biomass gasification power generation system developed by Chugai Against this background, Chugai Ro Co., Ltd. has been Ro Co., Ltd.

pursuing the development of gasification power Biomass (un-utilized resource) Transformed into electric and heat energy generation systems as a means for local production and

consumption type biomass energy utilization. Chugai Ro Wood Plant Sawn wood, Barks remnant wood, Gasification through chips biomass sawdust pyrolysis Co., Ltd. participated in the NEDO Project in FY2002 and Heat energy Electric energy Strained lees Bamboo Tea leave of vegetables Waste mushroom beds High-efficiency energy achieved 500 hour-continuous operation and an energy residuals and fruits collection using gas engines Bagasse Flammable gas Coffee grounds Chaff Shochu distillery byproduct Pyrolysis of biomass of various conversion efficiency of 60% (electric energy = 20%, shapes and sizes using rotary kiln thermal energy = 40%) in February 2005 at the demonstration test facility (5 tons/day, 180kW) in The carbides are completely incinerated Carbides Yamaguchi City of Yamaguchi Prefecture. and the waste heat is utilized. Utilization of In February 2013, Chugai Ro Co., Ltd. constructed a dried biomass “Biomass Gasification Tri-generation System” (7-9 Rotary Kiln Capable of Gasifying (Pyrolyzing) Biomass of Various Types at the Same Time (Source: Chugai Ro Co., Ltd.) tons/day, 180kW) in Yokote City of Akita Prefecture, which not only generates electricity and utilizes heat but also produces fuel at the same time. Chugai Ro Co., Ltd. has been conducting demonstration tests using this system (“Tri-generation System Demonstration Project Utilizing Un-utilized Biomass in Snowy Mountainous Areas,” which is a project entrusted by the Ministry of the Environment as part of the“Model Project for Intensive Support for the Development of Low-carbon Areas”). Because this system utilizes the vast amount of timber Perspective of the Gasification Furnace Developed by Chugai Ro Co., from forest thinning in Yokote City, which is a city with Ltd. for Biomass Gasification Power Generation Systems (Source: Chugai Ro Co., Ltd. active forestry industry, as a biomass fuel, it is attracting Chugai Ro Co., Ltd.)

16 March 2011

TOKYO GAS Co., Ltd.

・Establishing Platforms for the Widespread Use of Fuel Cells New Energy (FY2000‒FY2004),etc.

High-efficiency Power Generators That Use Hydrogen:Development of Fuel Cells for Household Use

To prevent global warming, there is an urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions in communities. One innova- tive technology that can contribute to achieving CO2 reductions is ENE-FARM. ENE-FARM is a home system that generates electricity at private residences and the heat it gives off is used for home heating and hot water as opposed to focusing efforts to conserve energy through the use of conven- tional energy-efficient appliances and equipment. Until now, high-efficiency fuel cells were mainly used in space development, manufacturing plants and office Home fuel cell cogeneration system“ENE-FARM” buildings. To enable user-friendly and safe use in homes, it will be necessary to ease regulations govern- ing use, ensure durability, and reduce purchase prices and operation costs. Along with the electronic manu- facturers involved in the development of ENE-FARM equipment, Tokyo Gas, an energy company that sup- plies fuel (such as city gas) to ENE-FARM users, contin- ues to address the challenge of developing and distributing fuel cells through NEDO projects. Compared to conventional methods of using elec- tricity generated from thermal power plants, and hot water supply and heating from city gas, the ENE-FARM fuel cell system reduces primary System evaluation testing for ENE-FARM cogeneration systems to ensure durability for the 40,000 hours required for household use. by approximately 35% and CO2 emissions by approxi- mately 48% by utilizing thermal energy that had previ- ously been lost through power transmission and FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 Project duration exhaust heat. As a result of a large-scale demonstra- Phase 1 Phase 2 tion project that involved installing 3,307 units throughout Japan and the technology’s market Number of units installed release in 2009, more than 10,000 units are currently through subsidies in operation in Japan. However, ENE-FARM is still 480 1,257 2,187 3,307 expensive and costs must be further reduced through the simplification of its internal system. Looking Subsidies 6 million toward the day when ENE-FARM is commonly used in yen/unit 4.5 million yen/unit 3.5 million 2.2 million yen/unit homes, the challenge to develop and improve yen/unit ENE-FARM continues.

Implementation status of large-scale demonstration project TOKYO GAS Co., Ltd. Advances in development has led to cost reductions as well as reductions in subsidy prices per unit, resulting In an increase in the number of units installed. 17 March 2013

Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.

New Energy ・ System Technology Development (FY2004-FY2007),etc.

Development of a Residential Fuel Cell System using a High-Efficiency Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are extremely efficient achieved. Osaka Gas has currently achieved sales of power generators, and the new type of ENE-FARM approximately 700 units as of March, 2013 since the equipped with this is gathering attention. By installing start of sales in March, 2012, and continues aiming for ENE-FARM, power transmission loss can be prevented popularized expansion throughout Japan. as electricity will be generated at home, and also as heat and electricity is generated simultaneously, both forms of energy can be consumed without being wasted. As the SOFC type ENE-FARM varies its output depending on the demand for electricity, it better suits homes that are interested in prioritizing power generation more than their hot-water supply. Additionally, as the power generator unit and the hot-water storage unit are relatively compact in size enabling a design with a small dimension of depth, it is perfect for being installed in densely populated locations. With regard to the durability of the cell which is an important component of an SOFC, NEDO integrated the wisdom of industrial-academic-government coop-

eration together with Kyocera, a manufacturer of the A generator unit undergoing an endurance test cells, in efforts of research and development. As a result, progress was made in unraveling the effects of impurities on a level of mechanism, accordingly improving the durability and reliability of cells. Addi- tionally, using the SOFC type ENE-FARM equipped with the cells by Kyocera and developed by AISIN SEIKI, Osaka Gas participated in the verification tests conducted by NEDO. Systems were installed through- out Japan to verify its long-term durability, reliability, and efficiency, etc. As a result, durability and reliability were improved, power generating efficiency was proved as 46.5% while efficiency as a co-generation system combined with supplying hot-water was

Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. 90.0%, and an endurance time of 100,000 hours was

18 December 2013

Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd. ・Development of Technologies for Hydrogen Production, New Energy Delivery, and Storage Systems(FY2008-2012)

Development of Small High-performance Hydrogen Production Equipment for Hydrogen Stations for Fuel Cell Vehicles that will become Popular in the Future

“Fuel cell vehicles” are vehicles that are high in in commercializing hydrogen production equipment energy efficiency, capable of traveling distances called“HyGeia-A.” equivalent to distances gasoline-based vehicles can The first commercial unit of HyGeia-A was installed

travel and do not emit any CO2 or harmful substance in a hydrogen station provided on the premises of a as they travel. Fuel cell vehicles had been regarded as gas station located in Midori Ward of Nagoya City of “dream vehicles” for a long time. However, the Aichi Prefecture. Long-term demonstration operation production and sale of fuel cell vehicles for general of that unit was started in 2013 as part of the users is scheduled to start in 2015. “Development of Technologies for Local Hydrogen As a result, the development of“hydrogen stations” Supply Infrastructures and Social Demonstration of the for supplying fuel cell vehicles with hydrogen (the fuel Developed Technologies” Project of NEDO. for fuel cell vehicles) has become an urgent task, and efforts are being made by the industry, academia and government organizations towards the goal of developing 100 hydrogen stations throughout Japan by 2015, including efforts to provide hydrogen stations on the premises of existing gas stations and efforts to develop transportation and distribution networks for liquid hydrogen. An important factor in the development of hydrogen stations is the mode of supply of hydrogen to hydrogen stations. There are two modes of supply of hydrogen to hydrogen stations; the“onsite” supply wherein the hydrogen is produced on the premises of hydrogen stations from liquefied petroleum gas (LP gas) or town gas and the“offsite” supply wherein the hydrogen is brought to hydrogen stations using trailers in the form of liquid hydrogen and compressed hydrogen. The“HyGeia-A” hydrogen production equipment installed in an area of the Kaminokura Hydrogen station Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd., a plant provider that has been producing large-scale industrial hydrogen production equipment for many years, had been developing onsite hydrogen production equipment since 1998 utilizing its experience. However, to install hydrogen production equipment on the premises of existing gas stations so that hydrogen can be used as easily as gasoline, it had been necessary to develop smaller and higher-performance hydrogen production equipment. Therefore, Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd. participated in the“Development of Technologies for Systems for Producing, Transporting and Storing Hydrogen and Other Technologies” Project of NEDO in FY2008 and endeavored to develop small hydrogen production equipment of one half the size of existing equipment Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd. and with a reforming efficiency of 85% (production efficiency: 80%). As a result, the company succeeded The reformer, which is the heart of the hydrogen production equipment 19 New Energy Diaphragm in electromagnetic diaphragm blower Development of Innovative Blowers for Fuel Cell Systems Indispensable for Realization of a Hydrogen- Based Society

Fuel cells are coming into wider use in so-called lifetime by exacerbating conditions that would cause “ENE-FARM” residential fuel cell cogeneration systems degradation. This led to realization of a gas booster blower (Micro-CHP) and other applications. The key to diffusing for fuel cell systems characterized by low power fuel cell systems is developing system components that consumption, low cost, and long life. The blower also are energy-efficient, durable, and inexpensive. This features rubber diaphragms capable of withstanding project focused on the blower, a major fuel cell system repeated expansion and contraction during 40,000 hours component used to move system gases. Two types of (approximately four and a half years) of continuous opera- innovative blowers were put to commercial use: one for tion. boosting gas pressure and the other for recirculating hydrogen. Returning to basic research to realize a safe hydrogen recirculation blower Extending the life of an electromagnetic diaphragm blower for boosting gas pressure Fuel cell systems for vehicles use pure hydrogen for fuel and therefore require strict safety controls. Since hydro- Durability is essential for promoting residential fuel cell gen gas causes materials to experience hydrogen embrit- systems (Micro-CHP) such as ENE-FARM because once tlement, a phenomenon that decreases material strength, installed, they are expected to be in continuous operation Techno Takatsuki improved the blower structure and for a long period of time. Prerequisites for the widespread conducted fundamental research jointly with Kyushu use of fuel cell systems in ordinary households also University on the hydrogen embrittlement of rubber, include energy efficiency and low cost. In light of the resin, and other materials used in the blower. As a result, above, Techno Takatsuki Co., Ltd. focused on the develop- efforts to prevent hydrogen embrittlement, including ment and commercial application of gas booster blowers, coating of permanent magnets inside the blower found to an auxiliary fuel cell system component designed to move become brittle, led to realization of a hydrogen recircula- fuels such as city-supplied natural gas and liquefied petro- tion blower with a flow rate of 100 L/min. Today, steadily leum gas. Using an electromagnetic diaphragm blower, a increasing numbers of hydrogen recirculation blowers are highly efficient, friction-free pump originally designed for being used in industrial vehicles, auxiliary power supplies, water tank use, Techno Takatsuki conducted accelerated and other systems with a view toward their introduction in Blowing a Breath of Fresh Air life testing in a NEDO project to estimate actual blower fuel cell vehicles for the general public.

Left: The workings of the elec- to Realize a Hydrogen-Based tromagnetic diaphragm blower. The blower has a structure that features a pair of gas compres- sion spaces, one on the right Society Exhaust port and the other on the left. Top right: The gas intake port (left) and gas exhaust port Techno Takatsuki Co., Ltd. (right) were set at different heights in order to discharge drops of condensed water New Energy Venture Business Technology Innovation Program vapor contained in the mixed gas. Intake port

Bottom right: The hydrogen recirculation blower for fuel cell systems developed during NEDO’s project

08 NEDO PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES 2017 SUCCESS STORIES 09 Evaluation of thermotolerant yeast toward New Energy the mass supply being carried out at Iwata Chemical Bioethanol fuel is attracting attention able to achieve more efficient bioeth- ing greatly supported the project as a renewable biomass energy anol production, Yamaguchi Universi- from basic research all the way to the source. Its use is considered prom- ty started basic research in a NEDO demonstration study stage. ising, particularly in tropical areas project together with Iwata Chemical In the demonstration project, a pilot where biomass abounds. NEDO Co., Ltd., a company with a long plant was built near a starch plant in carried out a project in Thailand to history in the fermentation business. Thailand, where bioethanol was demonstrate the effectiveness of In NEDO’s project, Iwata Chemical produced for evaluation under technologies to produce bioethanol cultured yeast strains developed by various conditions. Onsite operation fuel from cassava pulp, a residue Yamaguchi University and evaluated of the pilot plant provided many generated during tapioca starch their characteristics. It was challeng- findings, including the impact of production, using newly isolated ing to ascertain the optimal fermen- using cassava pulp, which has a high Bioethanol Production Using thermotolerant yeast. tation conditions for the newly fiber content, residues on distillation discovered yeast, but the researchers column as well as seasonal variations Unlocking the secrets involved made steady progress in of starch contents in cassava pulp. In Newly Isolated of a newly isolated yeast elucidating its characteristics. addition, optimal plant design and production processes were clarified Initiatives to develop such technolo- Quickly accelerating R&D through repeated examination of Thermotolerant Yeast gies began with the isolation of for commercialization factors affecting productivity. Yamaguchi University, SAPPORO HOLDINGS LTD., Iwata Chemical Co., Ltd. thermotolerant yeast by a joint by using a pilot plant Using technologies whose effective- New Energy Technology Development, Development of Technology for High-Efficiency Conversion research team from Yamaguchi ness was verified in the demonstra- of Biomass and Other Energy, Research and Development of Cost-Effective Fermentation Technology University in Japan and Ubon Ratcha- Two years after the start of the tion project, SAPPORO HOLDINGS Using a Thermotolerant Yeast thani University in Thailand. Fermen- project, the major Japanese beer LTD. is striving to promote commer- International Projects for Increasing the Efficient Use of Energy and System Demonstration Projects, tation, which is a life-related activity, company Sapporo Breweries Ltd. cial bioethanol plants in Southeast Model Project for Bioethanol Production from Cassava Pulp in Thailand generates heat, which means that (now SAPPORO HOLDINGS LTD.) Asia and beyond based on the use of temperature of yeast culture gradual- joined the project to learn more both thermotolerant yeast and ly rises during fermentation. Because about the thermotolerant yeast. cassava pulp. yeast that is used for regular alcohol Sapporo Breweries had been working (Interview: November and December (ethanol) production does not grow on bioethanol production from 2017) at 40ºC or higher, efficient fermenta- cassava pulp, a residue generated in tion has required cooling. However, large quantities during tapioca starch the newly isolated yeast grows even production. The participation of a at 50ºC. Based on the belief that company with fermentation and thermotolerant yeast with a high mass production technologies fermentation temperature would be cultivated through beer manufactur- Thermotolerant yeast for basic research Thermotolerant yeast culture testing at Iwata Chemical. Bioethanol produced from cassava pulp at Yamaguchi University Isolated colonies are being cultured in test tubes.

Cassava pulp Bioethanol production processes

Milling Aiming at highly Focus on a high volume efficient bioethanol Establishing technologies of cassava pulp waste production using for bioethanol production leads to a demonstration 1 newly isolated from cassava pulp 2 project in Thailand Above: slurry made by adding water to cassava pulp thermotolerant yeast Left: bioethanol production processes: (1) addition of Distillation and water to milled cassava pulp for slurry preparation, (2) Dehydration continuous steam heating of slurry to facilitate enzy- 3 matic reaction, (3) pitching yeast for alcoholic fermen- Liquefaction and Simultaneous ４ Ethanol tation to obtain fermentation liquor with an alcohol enzymatic reaction saccharification concentration of 8%, and (4) increase of alcohol con- (enzyme addition and fermentation centration from 8% to 99.5% through distillation and after cooling) dehydration (data courtesy of SAPPORO HOLDINGS LTD.)

18 NEDO PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES 2018 SUCCESS STORIES 19 Through its participation in NEDO’s projects, Toshiba Toshiba’s next goal was to increase battery output Corporation developed innovative lithium-ion power. To increase the capacity of high-power type New Energy batteries based on out-of-the-box thinking. This cells, the company took up the challenge of increasing resulted in the successful development and the surface area by increasing the number of electrode commercialization of a high-energy type battery in turns. The development of this new approach led to the 2015 and a high-power type battery in 2016. The commercialization of a high-power 10Ah cell in 2016. It high-energy type battery with increased energy is used in mild hybrid systems for new light vehicles density has been used in rapid-charging electric and has significantly improved fuel efficiency through vehicles overseas and large power storage facilities at increased frequency of motor assist. substations. The high-power type battery has been To further improve cell Anode tab Cathode Anode used in mild hybrid vehicles and has enabled a input-output perfor- significant increase in fuel efficiency. mance (namely, the amount of electricity Safe, groundbreaking that can be input and lithium-ion batteries output per unit time) Improvement of lithium-ion battery performance is and capacity, Toshiba Cathode tab Separator looked for ways to essential for the spread of next-generation vehicles Schematic diagram of SCiBTM. such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. push the limits of thin Long sheets of electrode and separator Next-Generation Lithium-Ion are wound together. Toshiba Corporation was one of the first to initiate separators. The com- research and development of innovative new pany adopted technology for fabricating nanofiber Batteries That Support lithium-ion batteries. membranes on electrodes based on the original idea of Based on a careful examination of its strategy, Toshiba integrating electrodes and separator. With support New Energy Applications decided to use lithium titanium oxide (LTO) for the from NEDO, the company introduced equipment sim- anode rather than carbon materials traditionally used in ilar to that used to manufacture actual products in the negative electrodes. LTO is an incombustible ceramic trial phase onward, which led to success in enhancing Two types of commercialized SCiBTM cells and their anode material ( lithium titanium oxide ) (on the right) material that is not prone to lithium metal deposition, input-output performance and capacity to 1.2 times which often causes fire in lithium-ion batteries using that of the conventional model. Research and develop- carbon-based negative electrodes. Using LTO for the ment are ongoing toward commercialization. anode, Toshiba worked to improve battery In recognition of its safety performance, Toshiba’s performance and succeeded in commercializing the SCiBTM battery system was the first lithium-ion battery SCiBTM rechargeable battery in 2007. It can be safely to be certified as compliant with the highest safety charged and discharged at a high current rate. standards mandated for rolling stock in Europe. SCiBTM batteries are expected to find more and more Conventional TM lithium-ion batteries SCiB applications in fields that require a high level of safety, Short circuit Cathode (+) Cathode (+) input-output performance, and long life. Heat generation Equipment for winding electrode and Electrode coating equipment for Charge-discharge test equipment occupying (Interview: September 2018) separator sheets at high speed high-speed smooth coating of electrode slurry most of the room Separator Conventional cell Cell structure with Carbon-based anode (–) SCiBTM anode (–) structure nanofiber membrane formed Possibility of internal short circuit due No lithium metal deposition by electrospinning Toshiba Corporation to lithium metal deposition Electrode Technology Development Project for the Application and Commercialization of Lithium-Ion Batteries and other projects Lithium titanium oxide is not susceptible to an internal short circuit Electrode ＋Nanofiber membrane caused by lithium metal deposition Separator

Electrode Enlarge Achieving higher performance through Separator Electrode Enlarge improvement of underlying technologies Aims Challenges Achievements Electrode

Aiming to further increase the energy density of Electrode�Nanofiber membrane Development and SCiBTM, Toshiba was selected to participate in a NEDO Separator Promoting an early shift Increasing the energy commercialization of project in 2012. It then embarked on the development Electrode Electrode to next-generation density of lithium-ion innovative lithium-ion of a thinner separator which insulates the cathode and vehicles to address the batteries, enhancing Technology for fabricating nano ber membranes directly on electrode batteries with increased anode. As a result, the company commercialized a (electrospinning) problem of global their safety, and energy density and higher high-energy type 23Ah SCiBTM cell in 2015. The new warming reducing their cost output power cell has a separator with a thickness 30 percent less than the conventional model but is just as strong. It is used in electric power storage facilities as part of power supply-demand balance adjustment systems.

06 NEDO Project Success Stories 07