Asahi Kasei, a Japanese technology company, has secured governmental backing to expand its manufacturing capacity for cell frames and membranes of alkaline water electrolyzers at its Kawasaki plant in Kanagawa Prefecture.
This expansion supports Japan’s goal of establishing a stable domestic supply chain for green hydrogen technologies, a cornerstone of the country’s Green Transformation (GX) strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Japanese Government formally adopted Asahi Kasei’s proposal, providing up to ¥11.4 billion (€215 million) in subsidies from the GX Supply Chain Construction Support Project. The total capital investment for the project is estimated at ¥35 billion, and the new facilities are expected to achieve an annual manufacturing capacity of at least 2 GW each for cell frames and membranes by 2028.
With this expansion, Asahi Kasei’s total annual manufacturing capacity for electrolyzer components, including its current production for ion-exchange membrane chlor-alkali electrolysis, will exceed 3 GW. This scaling aligns with the growing global demand for water electrolyzers, which is forecasted to reach 31 GW annually by 2030, as green hydrogen becomes integral to the global clean energy transition.
Asahi Kasei aims to capture a 20% market share in major water electrolysis equipment markets, including Europe, North America, and India, by 2030. The company plans further capital investments and partnerships to enhance its manufacturing capacity and global supply system.
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