Yohei Shimada
Manager, Digital Solutions, Sustainability Co-Creation Unit
JGC Holding Corporation
Yohei Shimada is managing the technology development of digital solutions, especially for operation and maintenance, for hydrogen and ammonia business domain at Sustainability Co-Creation Units in JGC Holdings. He also leads operation of green ammonia demonstration facility in Fukushima, Japan.
He joined JGC Corporation on 1998 and led projects as a lead instrument and control system engineer, mainly LNG and FLNG sectors. He involved in business and technology development for Green Hydrogen and Ammonia since 2020 and led the development of Green Chemical Integrated Control System. His main focus is optimization, of operation and maintenance for green chemical productions, including remote and automated operation, condition based maintenance, remote operation visualization, and operation and maintenance planning.
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Fuels and Molecules
1. Green Chemical, including Ammonia, Production
JGC and Asahi Kasei Corporation (Asahi Kasei), have jointly developed the "Green Chemical Integrated Control System." This system is developed to produce green hydrogen and chemicals, such as green ammonia, even when powered by unstable renewable energy sources. By analyzing weather history and forecasts, power generation data, the system determines the optimal plant operation load.
Key Features of the System also include:
- Automated Plant Operation: The system can autonomously start up and shut down the plant without any operator intervention.
- Remote Operation Visualization: This feature monitors and analyzes key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure efficient plant operations and maintenance.
This system is part of the "Large-scale Alkaline Water Electrolysis System Development and Green Chemical Plant Demonstration" project, funded by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Running from 2021 to 2030, the project includes a medium-scale demonstration plant in Fukushima, set to begin operations in FY2025. This plant will combine a 10 MW class water electrolysis system with an ammonia synthesis plant, showcasing the system's suitability for future commercial-scale development.
2. Ammonia Cracking
JGC, in collaboration with Kubota Corporation (Kubota) and Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (Taiyo Nippon Sanso), is developing large-scale ammonia cracking technology for low-carbon hydrogen production. This project, awarded by NEDO in 2023, aims to create a high-efficiency, zero-emission cracking system that ensures long-term, safe operation.
Key Technologies of the development include:
- Cracking Furnace utilizing corrosion-resistant cracking tubes:
JGC develops the entire process and cracking furnace, Kubota evaluates nitriding resistance of existing tubes and develops specialized tube material - Hydrogen Purifier:
Taiyo Nippon Sanso develop a one-step hydrogen purification system using Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology.
The project involves laboratory tests, including material nitriding tests, catalyst performance tests, PSA performance tests, and burner tests. With sufficient data acquired, JGC has completed the basic design package for the demonstration plant and its budgetary cost estimation. The demonstration plant location has been decided, and the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase is set to commence soon.
