Kansai, Kawasaki Continue Pilot Project Trend at Himeji Station with Hydrogen Emissions Test

The Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO), BIPROGY, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Kawasaki) are commencing demonstration tests to calculate and record CO₂ emissions during hydrogen processes, from production to power supply, in a hydrogen co-firing application. The environmental attribute management tests will occur at the Himeji No. 2 Power Station, with goals to improve the value of low-carbon hydrogen and expand its usage.

It will deploy nuclear-derived low-carbon hydrogen from the Fukui Prefecture and renewably generated green hydrogen from the Yamanashi Prefecture. Testing will calculate and track the CO₂ emissions of hydrogen every 30 minutes, verifying whether the power derived from hydrogen co-firing can be attributed to low-carbon hydrogen or green hydrogen. Det Norske Veritas will ensure that the tracking method is compliant with international standards.

Through these demonstration tests, the partners aim to determine electricity origin and the time/location of hydrogen production for consumers. It will also build Japan’s hydrogen supply chain; help achieve carbon neutrality, and encourage the joint investigation of commercialization.

Himeji No. 2 Power Station | Image Credit: KEPCO

Mitsubishi Tests CO₂ Capture at Himeji No. 2

In May 2025, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) installed, commissioned, and kick-started a CO₂-capture pilot plant at KEPCO’s Himeji No. 2 power station in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Using MHI’s Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery process (KM CDR), the pilot will extract CO₂ from Himeji’s gas turbine-produced flue stream, allowing MHI to conduct additional research and development for carbon-capture technologies.

KEPCO’s power plant currently captures approximately 5 tons of CO₂ per day, with the next-generation pilot project expected to increase the CO₂-capture rate following demonstration. MHI also installed its ΣSynX Supervision remote monitoring system to monitor and collect pilot data. With the pilot, MHI looks to:

• Strengthen its carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) business
• Accelerate R&D for minimizing environmental footprint and lowering costs
• Enable additional demonstration tests with new equipment
• Adhere to MISSION NET ZERO—an initiative to decarbonize both energy supply and demand by 2040

KEPCO and MHI have partnered on the research and development of CO₂-capture technologies since 1990. With this pilot project, they will respond quickly to customers’ requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and comply with environmental regulations.

KEPCO Dives into CCS

In 2022, MHI Group and ExxonMobil joined forces to develop an end-to-end, next-generation CCS solution for power plants. MHI and KEPCO offered their KM CDR and Advanced KM CDR technologies for this initiative, which are presently installed across 18 power plants.

The Advanced KM CDR process uses the KS-21 solvent, an improved version of the amine-based KS-1, delivering enhanced regeneration efficiency and reduced deterioration compared to its predecessor. Through numerous pilots, demonstrations, and commercial operations, this CO₂-capture technology has shown energy-saving performance, minimized OPEX, and lowered amine emissions.