
Beverage powerhouse Suntory has revealed its long-term strategy for green hydrogen, outlining plans to integrate the clean fuel across its operations while also supporting local industries. The move aligns with Japan’s growing push to build a nationwide hydrogen supply network. This effort began in earnest with the introduction of the country’s Basic Hydrogen Strategy back in 2017.
Suntory sees hydrogen as a cornerstone of its broader sustainability goals. The company aims to establish a local production-and-use model in Yamanashi Prefecture, a region rich in renewable energy resources and an ideal choice for a pilot.
Central to the effort is the Yamanashi Model Power-to-Gas project, which is scheduled to come online in 2025. At 16 megawatts, the facility will be the largest of its kind in Japan. It will generate green hydrogen using renewable power and locally sourced water. The project is a joint initiative between Yamanashi Prefecture and nine technology partners, combining public ambition with private-sector innovation.
Within its operations, Suntory is moving fast. The first phase kicks off later this year at the Minami Alps Hakushu Water Plant and the Hakushu Distillery. Both sites will begin using hydrogen-powered boilers for heat sterilisation, marking a significant step in decarbonising daily processes. Suntory is also actively studying whether hydrogen can be used in whisky distillation, a move that could reshape production methods across its beverage portfolio.
Starting in 2027, Suntory plans to take further steps. The company wants to operate across the entire hydrogen value chain. That means producing hydrogen, distributing it, and selling it—both locally and beyond. One of the significant steps in this direction is a new partnership with Tomoe Shokai, focused on logistics and distribution. Deliveries are expected to serve not only Yamanashi Prefecture but also extend to Tokyo.
Other facilities are also on the company’s radar. Suntory is exploring hydrogen applications at its Chita Distillery in collaboration with the Central Japan Hydrogen and Ammonia Association. Plans are also underway to integrate hydrogen at the Takasago Plant in Hyogo Prefecture sometime in the early 2030s.
This hydrogen roadmap is just one part of a much larger ambition. Suntory is working toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 2050. The integration of green hydrogen plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal.
In related developments, the UK is making its strides in the hydrogen space. National Gas has secured £500,000 in funding from Ofgem to advance a new underground hydrogen storage technology. A pilot project could be launched as early as 2026.
The money will go toward design and modelling for the H2FlexiStore system, which is being developed by Gravitricity, an energy storage firm based in Edinburgh. The goal is to create a storage solution capable of holding up to 100 tonnes of green hydrogen in specially engineered underground shafts.
The idea here is flexibility. H2FlexiStore can be deployed either along the National Gas pipeline network or near heavy industrial hydrogen users. The project is being developed in collaboration with a consortium that includes Southern Gas Networks, Guidehouse, the University of Edinburgh, Energy Reform, and Premtech.
This phase of funding comes through Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund and builds on a feasibility study completed in 2024. That earlier research found strong potential for underground hydrogen storage to replace what is currently provided by linepack. This natural buffering exists in natural gas systems.
Unlike natural gas, hydrogen cannot rely on the pipeline itself for storage. That means new systems will be necessary to ensure a consistent and stable energy supply.