Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Showa Denko, a Japanese chemical company, and Toshiba are operating the world’s first hydrogen hotel.
The hotel, located in Kawasaki city near the Tama River and Haneda Airport, is known as the Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu Rei Hotel. It is powered by hydrogen derived from food and plastic waste.
Showa Denko and Toshiba collaborated on this project in an attempt to overcome the city’s pollution problem. The hotel’s hydrogen fuel cell system uses H2Rex technology provided by Toshiba.
H2Rex is a generator that emits only water as a waste product, making it environmentally sound. It can thus help to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. An estimated 200,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided through this process.
The hotel has been working side-by-side with a Showa Denko power plant located about five kilometers away that delivers the hydrogen via a direct pipeline to the hotel.
The hydrogen fuel is created through a system of methane fermentation by microorganisms, utilizing food and plastic waste from the hotel, including toothbrushes and hair combs.
In addition, the hotel also grows fresh produce on site using LED light sources and hydroponics.
Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Environment’s Regional Cooperation and Low-Carbon Hydrogen Technology Demonstration Project, this hotel is a blueprint for upcoming carbon-neutral buildings in Japan.
According to Toshiba, “Guests of the hotel are happy about the unique nature of the hotel, saying that it makes them naturally more environmentally conscious. In other words, the hotel is great for raising environmental awareness as well.”
The Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu Rei Hotel first opened its doors in June 2018.