Panasonic’s Cardiff factory goes green with hydrogen

At a ceremony attended by Panasonic Corporation president and CEO Masahiro Shinada, the company officially unveiled the Panasonic HX installation, which combines flexible hydrogen fuel cell power with rooftop solar and battery storage. The project is the first of its kind outside Japan and will serve as a showcase for the HX system, which Panasonic hopes to commercialise in the years ahead.

A total of 21 Panasonic fuel cells, fed by green hydrogen generated by nearby Protium, will deliver power and heat to the factory with an overall efficiency of 95 per cent. The system will be managed autonomously via the company’s proprietary Energy Management System. According to Panasonic, the installation will allow Panasonic Manufacturing UK’s (PMUK) microwave plant at Cardiff to operate entirely on renewable energy.

“This facility will use green hydrogen produced in the UK,” explained Shinada.  “We believe that this is the place where we can take a big step towards the future by combining British and Japanese technology. It is our sincere hope that this facility can be used as a showcase to foster diverse partnerships, accelerate innovation through the combination of technologies, and contribute to the development of the UK’s hydrogen-related industry.