Panasonic has opened its first hydrogen-powered plant in Europe at a microwave factory in Wales as the Japanese electronics firm’s transition to

Panasonic opens first hydrogen-powered plant in Wales as UK losses widen

submited by

Style Pass

2024-12-04 09:30:05

Panasonic has opened its first hydrogen-powered plant in Europe at a microwave factory in Wales as the Japanese electronics firm’s transition to green energy gathers pace.

The 50-year-old manufacturing plant in Cardiff, which produces around £50m worth of microwaves per year, has been fitted with 21 5KW fuel cells powered by green hydrogen, alongside solar PV and battery storage, steered by the firm’s proprietary ‘Energy Management System’.

Panasonic has said it is investing over £100m to develop its HX technology in Japan and launch this pilot in Cardiff, plus a further location in Europe in 2025, with the goal of demonstating that 100% of the electricity consumed for the microwave oven production at this site can be powered entirely by renewable sources.

Panasonic president and CEO Masahiro Shinada said: “We believe that this is the place where we can take a big step towards the future by combining British and Japanese technology.