Launch of a NEDO-Commissioned Project to Conduct R&D Aimed at the International Standardization of Hydrogen Quality2026/07/24

JERA Co., Inc. (“JERA”), the Japan Hydrogen Association (“JH2A”), the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (“AIST”), the Japan Petroleum and Carbon Neutral Fuels Energy Center (“JPEC”), and ENEOS Corporation (“ENEOS”) will conduct research and development aimed at acquiring technical knowledge on hydrogen quality to support international standardization, thereby contributing to the establishment of a large-scale CO₂-free hydrogen supply chain. This R&D project has been commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (“NEDO”) under its Development of Technologies for Building a Competitive Hydrogen Supply Chain project.

As part of the effort to achieve a carbon-neutral society, hydrogen is now being considered for use in a wide range of fields including power generation, steelmaking, heat utilization, and methanation. At the same time, the large-scale use of hydrogen requires the establishment of suitable quality standards that account for both safety and the impact on equipment.
R&D conducted by JERA, ENEOS, and JPEC during FY2023–FY20251 resulted in the formulation of draft hydrogen quality standards suitable for industrial applications such as power generation and heat utilization. The current R&D project will support the international standardization of these draft standards by generating technical evidence needed to establish which items should be covered and their threshold values. Supporting the future large-scale use of hydrogen, the current R&D project, which aims to establish rational, application-specific hydrogen quality standards, is also expected to lead to lower costs across the hydrogen supply chain and to broader adoption.

As part of the current R&D project, the effect of trace constituents2 in hydrogen fuel on facilities and equipment will be evaluated by conducting tests using simulated gas mixtures containing the constituents envisioned in the draft hydrogen quality standards. JERA is responsible for simulated gas exposure testing and AIST for combustion testing using actual engines.
In addition, ENEOS will, drawing on the latest domestic and international developments, examine which items should be covered by hydrogen quality standards and their threshold values.
Based on the findings, JPEC will formulate draft hydrogen quality standards grounded in technical evidence and JH2A will develop a strategy for their international standardization.

Under its “JERA Zero CO₂ Emissions 2050” objective, JERA is working to reduce CO₂ emissions from its domestic and overseas businesses to net zero by 2050. Moving forward with the adoption of clean fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, it is pursuing zero-emissions thermal power that emits no CO₂ during power generation. JERA will continue contributing to the decarbonization of the energy sector.

Overview of R&D Aimed at the International Standardization of Hydrogen Quality

Theme	R&D to Establish a Technical Basis for the International Standardization of Hydrogen Quality
R&D Content	1.Actual engine testing of the draft hydrogen quality standards using simulated gas mixtures 2.Simulated gas exposure testing based on the draft hydrogen quality standards 3.Gathering of information on hydrogen quality from new perspectives and the examination, in looking toward international standardization, of which items should be covered and their threshold values 4.Formulation of draft hydrogen quality standards grounded in technical evidence 5.Development of an international standardization strategy and the development of the necessary technical information
Division of Roles	JERA: Simulated gas exposure testing JH2A: Development of international standardization strategy AIST: Combustion testing using actual engines JPEC: Formulation of draft hydrogen quality standards grounded in technical evidence ENEOS: Gathering of information related to hydrogen quality; examination of which items should be covered by hydrogen quality standards and their threshold values
R&D Period	FY2026–FY2027

1 ENEOS and JERA to Start R&D to Construct Hydrogen Quality Standard System Under NEDO’s Commissioned Project (9 June 2023 JERA Press Release)
2 Hydrogen produced by catalytic reforming units during petroleum refining (by-product hydrogen); derived from MCH (methylcyclohexane), an organic hydride; or derived from ammonia cracking may contain trace amounts of organic compounds, sulfur compounds, ammonia, and other impurities.