Thailand's First Biogas-Derived Hydrogen Production Equipment is now Operational

Hydrogen production will start at Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing, under a joint initiative with Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies

24th October 2023: Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TDEM) announced that to further the achievement of Carbon Neutrality across Asia with the concept of using locally available sources of energy, the first machine which produces hydrogen from chicken farm biogas will start operations by the end of October 2023. 

This machine at TDEM is also powered by green electricity from solar panels, which reflects Toyota’s commitment to always focus on the entire Life Cycle Actions (LCA) through all their environmental initiatives. Toyota understands that to truly achieve Carbon Neutrality, it is essential to consistently reduce CO2 emissions throughout the entire process of producing, transporting, and using energy.

This project has been planned together with Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) which has been established with the aim of helping solve challenges faced by the commercial vehicle transportation sector through effectively utilizing Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electrified (CASE) technologies. 

In December 2022, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), CJPT and Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) announced their intention to work together on initiatives that contribute to Carbon Neutrality in Thailand. This Biogas-Derived Hydrogen Production Equipment is therefore using biogas derived from farm waste, that is produced every day at CP’s poultry farm, and the produced Hydrogen will be utilized for long-haul logistics for hydrogen trucks thereby contributing to zero emission heavy duty transportation. As an initial trial, the compact machine will process biogas into hydrogen at a capacity of 2kgs/day (1 Nm3/hr).

The hydrogen production equipment installed in TDEM was manufactured by Mitsubishi Kakoki, which also developed this advanced technology that can support energy self-reliance across every market, including the Global South. TMC and Toyota Tsusho will also cooperate towards development of the Hydrogen Eco-system, including the construction and introduction of an overall system for the compression, storage, and transportation of biogas and hydrogen, as well as the establishment of an operating system.

During the press briefing for Asian Media on October 24th, prior to the Japan Mobility Show, Mr. Masahiko Maeda, CEO of Asia Region of TMC, which is one of the principal shareholders of CJPT, commented, “We are establishing the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Asia Co., Ltd. this month to accelerate initiatives with like-minded partners, and I am excited to see that our project with CP group is progressing well. This Biogas-Derived Hydrogen Production Equipment is yet another milestone on our journey toward achieving Carbon Neutrality over Asia region. Japanese industry has always been committed to developing technology and building the entire energy, mobility and data ecosystem, including suppliers and ancillary sectors, to contribute to every country in Asia. In this project all the parties of CJPT, along with Mitsubishi Kakoki and Toyota Tsusho are all committed to showcasing what we can do towards delivering mobility for all with real and practical carbon neutral technologies using the strengths of each county.”  

Photo 1:  Biogas from CP's poultry farm in Thailand 

Photo 2 : Biogas-Derived Hydrogen Production Equipment

＜Overview of Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Asia＞

About Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing Co. Ltd

Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing Co. Ltd was established to integrate all essential functions such as Production Preparation, Production Control & Logistic and Aftersales to pursue the development of the automotive industry in the region, as well as provide solutions and add value to our Asia Sales & Manufacturing Company (ASMCs) to contribute to customers in Asia. In addition, it houses a Research & Development (R&D) center outside Japan which strives to better meet customer needs through the development of our ever-better cars for Asia and global customers while maintaining Toyota's high standard on safety, quality, and environment.

About Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Co. Ltd

In April 2021, Isuzu Motors Limited, Hino Motors, Ltd., and Toyota Motor Corporation established Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies (CJPT), a new company, with the aim to accelerate the implementation and spread of CASE in society to help address various difficulties facing the transportation industry as well as help achieve a carbon-neutral society. Suzuki Motor Corporation and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. joined the partnership in July 2021. Among the many lessons at real logistics sites since CJPT was established, there has been a renewed awareness of both the magnitude of the challenges facing the transportation industry, such as the social cost of carbon neutrality and increased burden on workers and drivers, as well as the importance of working together with society to address these issues. Together with its partners, CJPT will accelerate its efforts with a focus on logistics efficiency and electrification.