- Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate, Sumitomo Life Insurance and Obayashi will install a rooftop solar powered green hydrogen system at Shinagawa Intercity in Tokyo, the first project to use subsidies under a Tokyo metropolitan government hydrogen programme.
- Separately, a physical power purchase agreement (PPA) has begun supplying about 3 million kWh of renewable electricity a year to the complex, cutting emissions by around 1,200 tonnes annually.
- The pilot will collect operating data on integrated hydrogen production, storage and use, testing its potential as a decentralised, self-sufficient energy system.
Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate, Sumitomo Life Insurance and Obayashi announced on October 23, 2026, that they will introduce a solar powered green hydrogen system at Shinagawa Intercity in Tokyo, alongside renewable electricity procurement through a corporate power purchase agreement.
According to the release, the hydrogen installation is the first project to draw on subsidies under a Tokyo metropolitan government programme that supports the deployment of green hydrogen production and utilisation equipment. The programme forms part of the capital’s wider efforts to promote hydrogen energy and decarbonisation.
The project will see rooftop solar panels installed to supply the renewable electricity needed for hydrogen production. The hydrogen will be stored in a hydrogen absorbing alloy and converted back into electricity by fuel cells when required. The power generated will supply some lighting in the complex’s common areas, rather than meeting the electricity needs of the entire property.
An energy management system will bring together controls for the solar equipment, storage batteries, hydrogen production and storage equipment, and fuel cells. The companies said that storing solar energy as hydrogen would help address the mismatch between the timing of solar generation and electricity demand, allowing renewable power to be used more effectively.
Separately, renewable electricity supply has begun at Shinagawa Intercity under a physical PPA, a long term contract tied to solar generating facilities. Under the arrangement, electricity produced by solar equipment installed and owned by a power producer is delivered to the property through the grid. The contracted solar supply covers part of the complex’s electricity consumption and is independent of the planned rooftop hydrogen system.
The companies expect the agreement to deliver about 3 million kilowatt hours of renewable electricity annually and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1,200 tonnes a year. These estimates relate to the PPA and not to the hydrogen installation.
Located in Tokyo’s Minato ward, Shinagawa Intercity comprises offices, shops, a multipurpose hall and parking, with total floor space of 337,126.4 square metres. The companies said the hydrogen project would gather operating data from integrated production, storage and use at an existing urban commercial property, while testing the system’s potential for future use as a decentralised, self-sufficient energy system.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
