Japan is preparing for a massive field test that produces clean-burning hydrogen through artificial photosynthesis, as reported by Nikkei Asia on February 18. Precisely, the pilot will develop photocatalytic sheets capable of splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight and apply such sheets to water-filled panels to produce hydrogen. The University of Tokyo, Toyota Motor [7203:JP], Mitsubishi Chemical [4188:JP], and other research institutes will team up for the government-funded project, with an aim to commercialize such technology by 2040. Japan’s state-backed New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) will provide around USD260m of financial support to the scheme.

The project hopes to develop efficient catalytic agents and affordable costs of artificial photosynthesis. It aims to raise the hydrogen conversion efficiency to 10%, as the previous scheme achieved an efficiency of less than 1%. On the other hand, researchers estimate the manufacturing cost of hydrogen through artificial photosynthesis would be lowered to JPY240 (USD2.09) per kilogram by 2030 and further lowered to JPY170 (USD1.48) by 2050, which would make this process cheaper than extracting hydrogen from natural gas. According to NEDO, artificial photosynthesis technologies, if widely adopted, could reduce Japan’s carbon emissions by 13m tons in 2050. At the COP26 summit last November, Japan committed to cut carbon emission by 46% in 2030 from 2013 levels and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Sources:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Environment/Climate-Change/Japan-to-kick-start-artificial-photosynthesis-R-D

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/2021/11/01/special-supplements/uniting-paths-carbon-neutrality/