Marubeni Corporation has completed a demonstration project involving the production of low-cost green hydrogen in South Australia, its transportation to Indonesia using metal hydride tanks, and its utilization in fuel cells. The project was announced as complete on November 25, 2025.

Project Overview and Timeline

The demonstration project was selected for Japan's Ministry of Environment “Pilot Project for Comprehensive Support throughout the Whole Hydrogen Supply Chain Abroad” and commenced in January 2022. The project spanned nearly four years from initiation to completion.

Marubeni leveraged an energy management system provided by its subsidiary SmartestEnergy Australia, together with storage batteries, to produce low-cost, stable green hydrogen in South Australia using surplus renewable power. The energy management system optimizes the entire energy system based on weather, power market price, and other information.

Transportation and Utilization Process

The green hydrogen produced in South Australia was stored in metal hydride tanks for transportation to Indonesia. Metal hydride technology is used to safely store and transport hydrogen, in which hydrogen is absorbed through cooling and pressurization and released through heating and decompression.

Once transported to Indonesia, the hydrogen was used to deliver power supply over an extended period at an industrial park in the suburbs of Jakarta via fuel cells. Through these activities, the project demonstrated both the effectiveness of metal hydrides as a hydrogen transportation method and the feasibility of building a supply chain from production to end use.

Ongoing Hydrogen Utilization Initiatives

Following completion of the demonstration project, Marubeni will continue its efforts to utilize the hydrogen produced, including within Australia. Green hydrogen has been supplied to a natural gas power plant adjacent to the production facility in South Australia, enabling Australia's first hydrogen co-firing trial from September 2025.

Marubeni has entered into a hydrogen sales agreement with the plant owner, Iberdrola Australia, and will continue to supply low-cost hydrogen produced from surplus renewable power as a co-firing fuel for gas turbines. By operating the battery system introduced for hydrogen production, Marubeni also aims to provide grid-balancing functions.

Ministry Program and Objectives

The Ministry of Environment, Japan's pilot project program, promotes the production of green hydrogen in collaboration with countries with abundant renewable energy, then transports that hydrogen for use in island nations or other similar countries. The program's purpose is to achieve Japan's greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets through the Joint Credit Mechanism initiative by promoting the production and use of green hydrogen, anticipating future ripple effects.

The financing program specifically supports pilot projects throughout the whole hydrogen supply chain abroad. Marubeni's project fits within this framework by demonstrating the complete process from hydrogen production using renewable energy through transportation and end-use applications.

Going forward, Marubeni aims to help realize a sustainable society by advancing projects that contribute to decarbonization, such as the supply and use of clean energy. The company's approach involves utilizing surplus renewable power to create cost-effective green hydrogen solutions while demonstrating practical transportation and utilization methods across international borders.

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