Current Status of Kawasaki Eco-Town, Kawasaki City - 2020s

Current Status of Kawasaki Eco-Town, Kawasaki City - 2020s

Now in the 2020s, Kawasaki Eco-Town is further evolving, with the introduction of renewable energy and more sophisticated waste recycling technologies. In particular, the amount of waste plastic recycled has increased to approximately 50,000 tons per year, and this recycled plastic is used to generate ammonia and hydrogen energy. This contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions, and more and more companies are participating in this initiative.

Showa Denko continues to improve its technology for producing ammonia using recycled plastic, achieving a 20% annual increase in production efficiency. In addition, the use of hydrogen energy is expanding, with Toshiba Energy Systems, in particular, strengthening its supply of hydrogen generated from waste for fuel cell vehicles and industrial fuel cells.

Kawasaki Eco-Town is also engaged in research and development of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilization (CCUS) technology, which captures CO2 generated during waste treatment and reuses it in industrial processes on a trial basis. This technology is attracting attention as a model for urban carbon recycling in collaboration with the chemical plants and power plants concentrated in the coastal area of Kawasaki City.

Furthermore, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, will be central to the energy supply of the Eco-Town. Hitachi, Ltd. has installed a large-scale solar power generation facility that supplies enough electricity to power 50,000 households annually. In the field of wind power generation, Hitachi has also partnered with overseas companies such as Vestas to introduce more efficient power generation systems.

Kawasaki Eco-Town is attracting an increasing number of visitors from Japan and abroad as an advanced project linking urban waste management and energy recycling, and new technologies and companies are expected to participate in the project in the future. In particular, efforts are being stepped up to meet the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030, and Kawasaki is further enhancing its presence as a model case for sustainable urban development.