Currently, about 60% of the cost for hydrogen used in fuel cell vehicles is hydrogen station maintenance and operation cost. NEDO aims to realize a hydrogen society, and to develop an organic hydride hydrogen station with methylcyclohexane as organic hydride and energy carrier. One of the challenges is to generate ultra-high purity hydrogen from a mixture of hydrogen and toluene produced by dehydrogenating methylcyclohexane, satisfying hydrogen standards. In this context, NOK Co., under a NEDO contract, has developed a carbon membrane with extremely high hydrogen selectivity (hydrogen/methane selectivity of 3,000 or more, hydrogen/toluene selectivity of over 300,000), capable of attaining the hydrogen standard for FCV in one separation. This carbon film was made into a large module with hydrogen refining capacity of 1 m3 h-1, and successfully tested by JX Energy Co.

NEDO news release, March 9, 2017