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Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) that has been present in Bangladesh since the 1960s, is considering all possible sources of cleaner and renewable energy solutions for the country. While the Japanese company will provide technology solutions for the existing power stations, wherever feasible it would replace key equipment, looking into the future to help the country achieve energy security and meet climate targets.
We are aware that Hydrogen and Ammonia are going to become the preferred fuel of the future. Hence power plants must get ready for using new fuels. Mitsubishi Power is closely working on it with the government of Bangladesh.
To help increase access to electricity among those living in areas not covered by main supply networks, MHI has developed EBLOX, which comprises solar panels, battery storage, and a diesel or gas engine to generate electricity without interruption, overcoming the intermittency issue associated with most renewables. The solution is tailored to each customer’s requirements.
CEO and Managing Director of Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific Osamu Ono observed this in an exclusive interview with Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain.
Achieving Net Zero 2050 is a major global challenge now. What is Mitsubishi Power doing for low carbon development and achieving net zero through improving efficiency?
MHI has announced its own challenge and target of achieving net zero emissions from its own operations by 2040. I am responsible for the Asia Pacific region, which includes India. But almost all the countries of Southeast Asia in general and India, in particular, have different perspectives. Their announced target of net zero is either 2050 or 2060. We appreciate their issues and challenges.
MHI and Mitsubishi Power are power solutions and infrastructure providers. We are committed to working hand in hand with our customers and communities to deliver customized solutions that can meet their climate targets, whether by 2050 or 2060. Our company’s target aims to achieve this by 2040 and I believe that this will help lead the way for countries’ achieving their net-zero targets.
Mitsubishi Power has been involved in Bangladesh in various developments for almost six decades, especially with power generation and energy efficiency. What is the future plan of your company in the emerging market of Bangladesh?
The Power Secretary of Bangladesh expressed a keen interest in hydrogen. Mitsubishi Power's hydrogen firing technology enables power plant owners to decarbonize their existing Gas Turbine Combined Cycle (GTCC) plants by converting them to hydrogen co-firing. By switching fuel from natural gas to 30% hydrogen mix by volume, it is possible to reduce a gas turbine's carbon emission by around 10%.
MHI is also focused on Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies. These not only reduce carbon emissions but also utilize carbon captured for other useful purposes. We use it for enhanced oil recovery from depleting oil fields by injecting carbon back into salt cavern-like structures.
Additionally, we are also looking into solar energy prospects in Bangladesh.
We are keenly attuned to Bangladesh’s energy and power sector challenges, having supplied our first steam turbine to the country in the 1960s. The current key challenges include ensuring stability and flexibility through the adoption of modern technologies.
Mitsubishi Power is working with solid oxide fuel cells, carbon capture and storage. Is there any possibility of introducing these technologies in Bangladesh? Is your company using this technology elsewhere in Asia?
We have to consider all possible sources of renewable energy while ensuring efficient maintenance of modern facilities in power stations. We provide technology solutions for existing power stations and where feasible, replace key equipment to help communities achieve energy security and meet their climate targets. We are aware that Hydrogen and Ammonia are going to become the preferred fuel of the future. Hence, power plants must get ready for using new fuel.
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a distributed power supply system. The capacity is limited to about 5MW. MHI has another hybrid solution called EBLOX, which combines solar power with a diesel or gas engine generator and a storage battery for optimal stable control. EBLOX’s smart control system also ensures each component uses its full capacity to maximize clean energy, while continually recharging the battery to store any surplus energy. This provides distributed power supply that uses renewable energy, making EBLOX suitable for off-grid areas or critical applications where an uninterruptible power supply is key, such as hospitals and factories.
We do not manufacture all the batteries. We are now an integrator of battery systems. But battery storage is complex and is not the only solution for energy storage. We are planning to explore other alternatives like compressed air or hydrogen and are participating in some unique projects in the United States. This includes the Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project in Utah – which will produce and store enough hydrogen to convert into 300,000 megawatt-hours of energy — enough to contain the Western United States' average monthly curtailed energy in 2021.
We are aware that Mitsubishi Power supplied its first steam turbine to Bangladesh 60 years from now. Now its contribution to the power sector of Bangladesh is about 20%. It has had a full-fledged office in Dhaka since 2019. What is your future plan?
We are participating in several projects now in Asian countries. For example, we have partnered with Jurong Port and JERA Asia to explore establishing a 100% ammonia direct combustion power plant on Jurong Island in Singapore. This is a green port project. Under the MoU, we will provide a 60 MW class gas turbine fueled by 100% ammonia to produce carbon-neutral electricity, as well as to stimulate ammonia demand to be ready for ammonia bunkering in the future.
Additionally, we’re also part of a consortium with Jurong Engineering that was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Keppel Energy for the construction of Singapore’s first hydrogen-ready power plant – the Keppel Sakra Cogen Plant.
Mitsubishi Power has achieved major success in battery storage technology. Bangladesh is also rapidly expanding its RE program. Do you have any plans for working with the public and private sectors in RE in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh's energy sector has just stepped foot into the fuel transition. We are working to bring our most efficient and environmentally friendly J-Series gas turbines to support cleaner fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. Our J-Series gas turbines can already support up to 30% hydrogen co-firing today, with 100% hydrogen-firing capabilities projected for 2025. We are also exploring the possibility of updating our F-Series gas turbines which we use in Bangladesh – ensuring it remains efficient and supports a constant supply of electricity across the country.
Your company is also working on Ammonia and hydrogen refiring technology. Is any country in the Asia Pacific region using this technology? Do you have a plan for introducing the technology in the Bangladesh power sector?
Decarbonization is not a night’s journey. We have to proceed step by step. Bangladesh’s power generation mostly depends on gas and oil. Hydrogen has the potential to be used with natural gas, but the issue is producing green hydrogen affordably and stably. These kinds of big projects cannot be done by one country and one party in isolation – collaboration across borders, industries and governments is very important. The government-to-government collaboration will be ideal for Bangladesh.
How do you evaluate the challenges and opportunities of Bangladesh's power sector? What do you think should be the strategy for low-carbon development in Bangladesh’s power sector?
I think Bangladesh's resource base is not different from Japan's and Singapore's. These countries do not have enough resources. So those countries are looking at diversifying their energy mix through sources like hydrogen and ammonia. Singapore is very close to making a deal. Japan has made some approaches. I think Bangladesh can also initiate similar ventures. For that, the technical and geographical collaboration will be important. We would also like to establish a regional training institute, similar to our existing facilities in the Philippines and Indonesia.
