The company is investing in the research and development of products and technologies linked to decarbonization. These efforts are essential if we are to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The company's initiatives include the practical application of new technologies, such as CO2 separation and recovery. It also collaborates with universities and companies through open innovation. Improving power electronics technology, one of the company's strengths, is also a priority.
Fuji Electric's research and development in the field of decarbonization has changed considerably since October 2020, when the Japanese government set the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Just as Western companies such as the global IT giants (GAFA) have announced that they will only adopt carbon-neutral energy and products, Fuji Electric's customers are beginning to do the same.
Kentaro Toyama, General Manager, New Products Development Office, Corporate R&D Headquarters, explains the situation:
"Customers are moving very quickly to become carbon neutrale, and in some cases the timing of product launches is about three years earlier than originally planned.
In the past, most of what customers demanded oneco-friendly products was energy-saving performance.
In contrast, now decarbonization in different forms is being demanded in various industries and business categories."Kentaro Toyama, General Manager, New Products Development Office at Fuji Electric R&D Headquarters
Some requests concern the replacement of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), known for its high global warming potential. Dry air is being considered as an insulating medium for substation switchgear (GIS).
There is also demand for CO2 separation and recovery. This is envisaged in combination with scrubbers that remove sulfur oxides (SOX) from ship exhaust gases.
The needs for decarbonization are emerging in various industries and business categories, and the products and technologies required are also expanding.
Given the rapid pace of market change and the expansion of customers and their needs, Managing Director Toyama states that "it is no longer realistic for a single company to pursue the development of decarbonization technologies alone". This underlines the need for a collaborative approach.
As a result, the company has clearly defined its "co-creation" policy. This involves collaboration with universities, research institutes and partner companies in research and development.
Carbon neutrality cannot be achieved with a single product. It must be seen as a total system. This requires strategic research and acquisition of materials and technologies that are missing from the market.
Fuji Electric launched a new organization to foster open innovation in 2017. This initiative marks the expansion of its activities.
At the same time, the company has boosted the rotation of its human resources. People working on product and technology development in the R&D department are transferred to the sales divisions. They are also involved in launching new activities.
This is the new product development office that collaborates with management and the sales and marketing divisions. Together, they study the best way to conduct technological development and external collaboration.
This office also plays a role in the development of related commercial products for each company. It works in concert with the carbon neutrality promotion department, recently created in April 2022.
One of Fuji Electric's open innovation activities is joint research with Kyushu University, with which the company has held a comprehensive collaboration agreement since 2010.
Shusuke Saito, Senior Chief Expert, Technological Marketing Department of the New Product Development Office, said:
We have had a total of 67 collaborative projects, and we have conducted joint research on silicon carbide (SiC), a power semiconductor material, in a wide range of areas from materials to circuit configurationsShusuke Saito, Senior Expert-in-Chief, Technology Marketing Department, New Product Development Office, Fuji Electric
The company has produced products and technologies that are driving the growth of the power semiconductor business.
In the field of carbon-neutral technologies, the company has been working with the International Carbon Neutral Energy Research Institute (I2CNER). This institute, located at Kyushu University, is also known as "Eisner".
Their collaboration aims to develop market scenarios and technology trends. They focus on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS).
When will CCUS technology be introduced to thermal power generation? On what scale will it start? Who will be the first customers? What is the financing environment for commercialization?
The aim of this project is to analyze these scenarios, define the basic technologies required and involve them in joint research.
"This was Fuji Electric's first attempt to create a decarbonized society, a value system that has never been experienced before, incorporating not only technological but also economic perspectives," said Toyama.
CO2 separation and recovery technology is one of the key technologies that the company is working on in collaboration with Kyushu University and it is expected to make a significant contribution to decarbonization.
The main aim of Fuji Electric's joint research is to develop a small-scale CO2 recovery technology. This could be applied to power generation systems with a capacity of around 10 megawatts. It could also be used in cogeneration systems and boat engines.
This approach contrasts with the chemical absorption method (amine method). The latter is promoted by heavy industry manufacturers for large power plants.
Fuji Electric's technology is commonly referred to as a "membrane separation system". It is based on the use of organic membranes.
Fuji Electric is conducting in-house research to develop adsorbent materials and pre-treatment technologies. These technologies aim to remove particles and other inclusions prior to CO2 separation.
The company has set its sights on the practical application of the membrane separation system. To this end, it is combining its research findings with those of Kyushu University.
On the other hand, Fuji Electric is already exchanging information with customers in the maritime sector. These exchanges focus mainly on the capacity of equipment to be installed on ships.
The company plans to build a ground-based demonstration facility by the end of 2023. The aim is to market this equipment for use on ships. The life cycle of the system, including pre-treatment methods and equipment maintenance, will be verified according to fuel type.
With a view to practical implementation, the company plans to introduce the membrane separation system for ships around 2025. After that, membrane separation systems would be developed for cogeneration systems in factories, as well as for biomass power plants.
Finally, the Japanese government aims to capture 30% of the global separation and recovery market by 2050. Fuji Electric, for its part, intends to capture a fifth of this market share.
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