EBARA develops world’s first liquid hydrogen booster pump

EBARA CORPORATION (hereafter, EBARA) has developed the world’s first hydrogen booster pump for hydrogen power generation. According to a 2022 announcement by IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), hydrogen will account for more than 10% of the world’s energy trade value in 2050.

In addition, the global hydrogen business market is expected to expand to more than US $1.5 trillion, and countries and companies around the world are accelerating their efforts. In August 2021, Ebara launched a hydrogen-related business project as a commercialization project (corporate project) under the direct control of the president. EBARA possesses many technologies that are highly compatible with any of the processes of “generating,” “carrying,” and “using” hydrogen. Among them, Hakobu has cryogenic liquid hydrogen pump technology and compressor technology.

Since 2019, as a project subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Ebara has developed the world’s first “liquid hydrogen booster pump” for hydrogen power generation, which is necessary for supplying hydrogen to hydrogen power generation gas turbines.”

Using this pump prototype, a real liquid test (-253°C) with liquid hydrogen was conducted at the JAXA Noshiro Rocket Proving Ground (Akita) in October last year. Liquid hydrogen transported by sea from overseas to be used for hydrogen power generation requires a booster pump when it is discharged from the tank and supplied to the hydrogen gas turbine after it is stored in a domestic storage tank.

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A high-capacity, high-pressure pump for power generation that can handle liquid hydrogen at -253°C does not currently exist on the market due to the high level of technical difficulty.Based on our strengths in high-pressure centrifugal pumps and cryogenic technology, Ebara plans to launch the world’s first liquid hydrogen fuel supply pump in 2023.In addition, at the end of July 2022, an interim announcement of development progress was made at the NEDO debriefing session.

In this product, Ebara will play a role in connecting the hydrogen society with the technology that transfers and pressurizes cryogenic next-generation fuel from liquefied hydrogen storage tanks to hydrogen power generation gas turbines.

Ebara will accelerate efforts to realize the hydrogen power generation market and carbon neutrality in 2050, and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society as set forth in our long-term vision “E-Vision 2030.” The EBARA Group aims to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing material ESG issues based on its long-term vision and medium-term management plan, and will work to further improve its corporate value.