World’s-first Centrifugal Hydrogen Compressor for Hydrogen Liquefaction Plants Starts Demonstration —leading the world towards a hydrogen energy society—

Hydrogen supply costs must be cut for the global expansion of hydrogen energy while there is also a growing need for larger hydrogen liquefaction plants. However, no equipment capable of achieving a high compression ratio for large volumes of refrigerant hydrogen gas within a limited space—the core element of such plants—has been available up to now on the market. The equipment demonstrated at Harima Works to overcome this issue features the world’s first next-generation centrifugal compressor intended for hydrogen liquefaction plants and is expected to significantly boost the efficiency of hydrogen liquefaction processes.

Key Features of KM Comp-H₂

1. (1) High compression with a compact design
   The ultra-high speed rotation provided by the new centrifugal compressor enables a larger capacity of hydrogen gas to be compressed to high pressure in less space than with existing equipment. As a result, the facility requires only about one-seventh of the installation space needed for existing hydrogen compressors.
2. (2) Energy saving
   The adoption of optimized gas cooling, together with high-efficiency impellers, reduces annual electricity consumption by 3 to 4% compared to existing technologies.
3. (3) Versatile applications
   In addition to hydrogen liquefaction plants, the KM Comp-H₂ can be used for a wide variety of applications including, but not limited to, hydrogen supply pipelines and underground storage facilities, and at oil refineries, steelworks, and ammonia plants.