“Yamaguchi Liquid Hydrogen of Iwatani’s third domestic LH2 plant was completed on June 11 and has been put into commercial operation. This plant, set up as a joint venture of Iwatani and Tokuyama of electrolytic soda manufacturer, was being constructed in Tokuyama’s Tokuyama Plant from the autumn of 2011 located in the Shunan Industrial Complex of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The investment amounts to 3.5 billion yen.

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) from the new plant is planned for use in the rocket launching base of Tanegashima Island and also for the supply to users in the western region of Japan. Iwatani has been taking particular note of the potential of LH2 suited for mass transportation and storage since 1978 when it started to supply LH2 for the development of Japan made rockets.

From the viewpoint that advantages can be found for storage or transportation by industrial users in general like semiconductor, LCD, solar cell, electronics parts and glass manufacturer, Iwatani started out the development of commercial supply of liquid hydrogen. In 2006 Iwatani built up “Hydro-Edge” in Sakai city of Osaka Prefecture jointly with the Kansai Electric Power group, which is Japan’s first production base of liquid hydrogen for commercial use.

In 2009 Iwatani made Japan’s second production center at Chiba Plant of Iwatani Industrial Gases, with which Iwatani then established a dual base system in both eastern and western regions. It is now followed by the establishment of the third production center Yamaguchi Liquid Hydrogen which is located in Shunan City of Yamaguchi Prefecture, at the approximate center between the Kyushu and Kansai Districts.

It can be said to have made Iwatani complete fixing up its production network of LH2 along the Pacific Belt.

Yamaguchi Liquid Hydrogen has a capacity of 3000ℓper hour to produce LH2, with two storage tanks of 270 kℓeach. With the raw material of high-purity hydrogen at 99% minimum, hydrogen is pressurized up to 2.3MPa, purified by PSA up to 99.9995% and sent to the liquefier. After the heat exchange with liquid nitrogen (LIN) chill in LIN storage tank (100 m3) provided inside the building, it is formed into liquid hydrogen at -253℃ by the 3-stage expansion turbine.

Iwatani introduced hydrogen liquefier made by German Linde like the existing Hydro-Edge and Iwatani Industrial Gases Chiba Plant, but the expansion turbine was converted from the conventional oil bearing to gas bearing method.

With an attempt of its own, Iwatani is aiming for effects in the reduction of energy cost of the circulation compressor and the consumption saving of nitrogen for chilling.

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