Hydrogen gas derived from used plastics is being supplied by Showa Denko to feed fuel cells at a newly opened hotel in Japan.

The company’s Kawasaki plant introduced a method in 2003 to extract hydrogen, which is used as raw material to produce ammonia, from used plastics. By utilizing used plastics as raw material, this hydrogen production method not only reduces consumption of fossil fuels but also promotes reuse of carbon dioxide, which is generated as a byproduct of the hydrogen extraction process, by converting it into dry ice.

SDK’s “Demonstration Project to Promote Local Consumption of Locally Produced Low-carbon Hydrogen Gas Made from Used Plastics” has been accredited as an official project under the framework of “FY 2015 Regional Cooperation and Low-carbon Hydrogen Technology Demonstration Project” commissioned by the Ministry of Environment. The project has also been accredited as a part of “Kawasaki Eco-town Project,” which is promoted by Kawasaki City.

The Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu Rei Hotel will use the low-carbon hydrogen as an energy source to be converted into electricity and heat through large-sized fuel cells.