TOKYO, Mar 12, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger, Ltd. (MHIET), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has achieved rated operation (435kW/1,500min-1) using 100% hydrogen fuel in a trial run of a 500kW-class hydrogen engine generator set(1) at the company's Sagamihara Plant. Following safety and reliability evaluations, development will now accelerate toward commercialization.
The demonstration test is noteworthy in its use of a hydrogen engine generator set of the type envisioned for actual commercialization, rather than the single-cylinder engine for which MHIET has already established the technology enabling stable combustion using 100% hydrogen. The generator set incorporated a 6-cylinder 500kW-class hydrogen engine newly engineered and manufactured in-house, plus auxiliary equipment with added safety features to accommodate use of hydrogen(2). The demonstration was carried out of the complete system: engine, generator and auxiliary equipment.
The demonstration test confirmed stable operation using 100% hydrogen in all phases throughout the sequence of operations of a real generator set prototype, from engine start to power generation at rated output and system shutdown, as well as the effective functioning of protective measures in times of emergency. Now that MHIET has completed the entire development cycle - from engineering and manufacture to demonstration - at its own plant, the results of the demonstration test can be swiftly applied to the final product. Going forward, reliability and safety evaluations will be rendered in the runup to commercialization.
Reciprocating engines are structured to enable combustion of diverse fuels, and they are expected to play an important role in the energy transition toward realizing a low-carbon or decarbonized society. 100% hydrogen engine generator sets in particular, because they use pure hydrogen as fuel and therefore emit no CO2 during fuel combustion, are poised to contribute to the decarbonization of distributed power systems. Through acceleration of processes necessary to achieve commercialization, MHIET targets the realization of a decarbonized society through expanded adoption of hydrogen.
(1) A set of equipment required to generate electricity using a hydrogen engine, including a generator mounted on the engine's output shaft, auxiliary equipment (piping systems for fuel gas, lubricating oil, cooling water, intake and exhaust gas, and a generator control panel) required to operate the generator set, and enclosures that house and protect the engine, generator and auxiliary equipment.
(2) Compared to natural gas, hydrogen is highly combustible and can ignite with an energy equivalent to static electricity and with a wider combustion range. Furthermore, because the molecules are small and prone to leakage, hydrogen engine generator sets require strict safety measures such as redundant leak prevention, leak detection, a safe stop of the integral system, and ventilation to avoid gas accumulation.
About MHIET's pursuit of hydrogen usage
MHIET's hydrogen engine development program is one of various product development initiatives underway within MHI Group toward realizing carbon neutrality by 2040 under its "MISSION NET ZERO."
Previous releases concerning 100% hydrogen engine
Stable combustion of 100% hydrogen in a single-cylinder engine
"MHIET Conducts Combustion Test for Hydrogen Engine with Pure Hydrogen: Joint Project with AIST to Achieve Stable Combustion of 100% Hydrogen Fuel for a Carbon-free, Hydrogen Economy"
https://www.mhi.com/news/210121.html
Hydrogen engine generator set demonstration and hydrogen supply facilities completed
"Hydrogen Engine Generator Set Ready for In-house Evaluation"
https://www.mhi.com/news/24052902.html
Hydrogen Engine Generator Set Demonstration Facilities
Previous releases concerning hydrogen co-firing engine
Test operation of city gas and hydrogen mixed-fuel combustion in a commercial gas engine for a cogeneration system
"Toho Gas and MHIET Successfully Conduct Test Operation of City Gas and Hydrogen Mixed-fuel Combustion in a Commercial Gas Engine for a Cogeneration System: Rated operation at 35% hydrogen mixed fuel burning ratio a first in Japan"
https://www.mhi.com/news/21082601.html
Stable combustion of up to 50 vol% hydrogen in 5.75 MW Generation Gas Engine
"MHIET Achieves Stable Combustion of up to 50 vol% Hydrogen on Single Cylinder Test Engine"
https://www.mhi.com/news/23110101.html
About MHI Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.