Hamburg model for Fukushima's energy transition "From Hamburg to the World" - Interview with Kinya Sakanishi, Managing Director of EnergyAgency.Fukushima, Japan

In the following interview Kinya Sakanishi, Managing Director of EnergyAgency.Fukushima, Japan, explains his passion for renewable energies and his ambitions for international collaborations around the globe.

REH: Hello Mr. Sakanishi. Since April, you have been the new managing director of EnergyAgency.Fukushima. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your experience with renewable energy.

Kinya Sakanishi: "I am originally from Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyush. If you look at a map, you will see that the island of Kyushu is in the South West of Japan and quite far from Fukushima Prefecture and the Tohoku region. However, about 150 years ago, during the construction of the Asaka Canal construction project in Fukushima, samurai from the Kurume domain in Kyushu (near my hometown) migrated and contributed to the area and integrated into Fukushima Prefecture. I grew up in a coal-mining area of Fukuoka Prefecture, and in the wake of the second oil shock in 1978, I became involved in research and development to convert coal to oil. Later, as concerns about global warming grew, I shifted my focus to research on producing biofuels and hydrogen from woody biomass. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, I joined the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute (FREA), which was established in Fukushima Prefecture in 2014. My research theme has consistently aimed at moving away from fossil resources, with the main focus on producing clean fuels from unused biomass. My life's work is "creating undrinkable bioethanol from wood, grass, and waste," but personally, I love drinking delicious Japanese sake (bioethanol)."

REH: Please tell us about the status of renewable industry in Fukushima. Can you share some projects and developments with us?

Kinya Sakanishi: "In response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, Fukushima Prefecture has proposed a sustainable new energy society concept that moves away from nuclear power and does not depend on fossil resources. Together, we are promoting efforts to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2040. So far, along with the expansion of solar power, wind power, and biomass power generation, they have demonstrated the spread of hydrogen production technology and utilization systems using solar power generation + water electrolysis as one of the means of storing and transporting renewable energy. Fukushima Prefecture has also proven the construction of zero-energy houses and smart communities through the use of unused heat sources such as geothermal heat and the introduction of battery systems. In particular, Fukushima Prefecture is promoting projects such as FH2R, which produces, stores, and utilizes hydrogen derived from renewable energy on a world-class scale, and FREA's development of ammonia production technology as a hydrogen carrier and hydrogen engine projects."

REH: What is your goal and plan for EnergyAgency.Fukushima? What is the place of international cooperation in your work?

Kinya Sakanishi: "Energy Agency Fukushima (EAF) is working to strengthen and expand the network of companies, research institutions, and universities both within and outside Fukushima Prefecture to promote the expansion of renewable energy introduction and the development of hydrogen utilization systems as mentioned above. Additionally, EAF is actively engaging in international cooperation with advanced countries in renewable energy implementation and hydrogen utilization, such as Germany, Spain, and Denmark. Specifically, through domestic and international exhibitions (such as REIF Fukushima and e-World), EAF is contributing to the further expansion of renewable energy and hydrogen utilization in Fukushima Prefecture by promoting collaborative matching between local Fukushima companies and overseas enterprises."

REH: Where do you see potential for a closer collaboration with Hamburg? What international activities are you planning to do this year and in 2025?

Kinya Sakanishi: "In Hamburg, they are maximizing the use of abundant renewable energy, primarily wind power, while also promoting the technological development of systems utilizing hydrogen carriers such as synthetic methane and ammonia through Power-to-Gas (P2G). We consider this to be an excellent model for Fukushima Prefecture's future expansion of renewable energy and hydrogen implementation. In 2025, the Osaka Expo will be held in Japan, where innovative domestic and international technologies aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 will be widely exhibited and demonstrated. Through collaboration with Fukushima's REIF (Renewable Energy Industrial Fair), we hope to expand our network with many overseas companies."

REH: What does energy transition mean for you personally?

Kinya Sakanishi: "Japan has a low energy self-sufficiency rate, and even now, it depends on the three major fossil resources - oil, natural gas, and coal - imported from overseas for more than 80% of its primary energy. Reducing this dependence on fossil resources not only decreases CO2 emissions that cause global warming but also maximizes the use of abundant domestic renewable energy sources, expanding the energy self-sufficiency rate to a level comparable to European countries like Germany. Furthermore, I believe that the transition from fossil resources to renewable energy will lead to solving environmental issues not just for Japan but on a global scale. Personally, I think energy transition is essential for building a sustainable international society that coexists with nature."

Thank you very much for your time and to a fruitful cooperation between Fukushima and Hamburg!