Field trial of 100% hydrogen combustion water heater conducted in Australia
Agreement signed with Australian energy infrastructure company to contribute to realizing a hydrogen society
Noritz Corporation (Head office: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan; President and CEO: Satoshi Haramaki) and Group company Dux Manufacturing Ltd (Location: Australia; hereinafter ‘Dux’) will start a field trial of a 100% hydrogen combustion residential water heater in December 2024 in collaboration with ATCO Gas Australia Pty Ltd (hereinafter ‘ATCO’), a Western Australia-based energy infrastructure company, in order to accelerate efforts towards achieving carbon neutrality.
In December 2023, Noritz developed a prototype of a 100% hydrogen combustion residential water heater. Since then, Noritz have been promoting product development and testing aimed at practical application both in Japan and overseas, with the aim of early market introduction once hydrogen infrastructure is in place.
In 2019, the Australian and Western Australian Governments announced their initial Hydrogen Strategy, accelerating government-led transition to clean energy. With funding from both governments, ATCO opened the Clean Energy Innovation Hub (CEIH) in 2019 to conduct research and trials on ways to utilize hydrogen. ATCO is currently conducting an experimental project in which renewable hydrogen* produced within the CEIH is mixed with natural gas and supplied to around 3,000 households connected to the gas distribution network. Additionally, ATCO built a hydrogen house within the CEIH premises and gradually conducting field trials on equipment compatible with 100% hydrogen combustion.
Noritz, Dux, and ATCO have now signed a memorandum of understanding and will begin the field trial of a domestic water heater in ATCO's hydrogen house. In this field trial, a 100% hydrogen combustion residential water heater developed by Noritz will be installed in ATCO’s hydrogen house, and its operation in daily life will be verified for approximately two years from December 2024. We will evaluate reliability through long-term operation and demonstrate whether a safe, stable supply of hot water is possible even in a hydrogen society. Dux will be responsible for equipment maintenance during the field trial. Working with Dux, Noritz will contribute to the realization of a hydrogen society in Australia by leveraging our proprietary hydrogen combustion technology.
* Hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources without emitting CO2 during the manufacturing process.
Reference: Main features of the 100% hydrogen combustion water heater developed by Noritz
1. Safely provide stable hot water
The system employs an abnormal combustion prevention structure that prevents abnormal combustion, which is a challenge when handling hydrogen, and safely shuts down the unit in the unlikely event that an abnormality does occur.
2. Maintains the same ease of use and comfort as conventional gas water heaters
It achieves the same maximum capacity (24 liters/minute) and minimum capacity (2.4 liters/minute) as conventional gas water heaters, providing a stable supply of hot water from maximum to minimum flow rates.
3. Supports switching from conventional gas to hydrogen
Even as energy sources diversify, with a low-carbon phase leading up to 2030 and a carbon-neutral phase toward 2050, it will be easy to switch from conventional gases to hydrogen by replacing gas flow adjustment parts and switching software.
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