executive-summary

Executive Summary

The Tokyo Institute of TechnologyInstitute of Innovative Research Transformation Science Tokyo GXI, a project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), announces " Science Tokyo GXI VISION 2050," which advocates "achieving carbon neutrality through an affordable transition in anticipation of social inertia" for the year 2050. GXI VISION 2050", which advocates "achieving carbon neutrality through an affordable transition in anticipation of social inertia".

Organizing the Current Situation
To achieve carbon neutrality, it is inevitable to reduce the use of imported fossil fuels to the minimum necessary. Even if carbon capture and storage (CCUS) and other measures are introduced, it is necessary to increase the electricity conversion rate of industry and transportation, and to use renewable energy (renewable energy) and nuclear power as sources of electricity to make primary energy non-fossilized. Variable renewable energy (VRE) will play a leading role in the non-fossilization of primary energy, and it is necessary to secure flexible adjustment capability to balance the supply and demand of electricity and to promote the introduction of large-scale energy storage capable of accepting the surplus min resulting from the mass introduction of VRE.
Prospects and Basic Policies for 2050
There are various measures that can be taken to achieve carbon neutrality. Japan is not only facing challenges in terms of social consensus on nuclear power, but also regarding cost and quantitative potential in renewable energy and ccus compared to continental countries. Although it is difficult to say that Japan has an international advantage, the following are expected to be important:
1. Introduction of vre at an appropriate level and realization of an appropriate energy mix including nuclear power and ccus.
2. Utilization of hydrogen, ammonia, and synthetic fuels (e-fuels) through the use of cost-competitive renewable energy resources from overseas
3. Appropriate allocation of electricity demand in Japan that curbs the need for grid reinforcement
4. In addition to energy storage for further utilization of domestic renewable energy, more extensive measures for electricity supply and demand, such as water pumping and thermal storage
Issues to be focused on as new challenges
1. Despite changes in industrial structure and demographics, the promotion of dx has resulted in a greater-than-expected increase in electricity demand, and it is important to ensure the long-term availability of a power supply that can be commanded to feed power according to demand.
2. In order to achieve carbon neutrality (CN) and GX in a short period of time, it is important to maximize the use of existing assets such as hydroelectric power and existing nuclear power plants as power sources that can provide non-fossil and large-capacity synchronized power, in addition to making VRE the main source, and also maintain and renew power sources that can secure both ΔkW and kWh.
3. On the other hand, the facility utilization ratio is low compared to the capacity that should be secured, and the introduction or renewal may not proceed as expected from the viewpoint of investment payback.
4. We should not only solve the problem of residual emissions in the hard-to-abate sectors, but also transition to a carbon-circulating industry that secures the necessary carbon sources.
Technologies to be strengthened for GX realization
Science Tokyo GXI GXI VISION 2050 asserts that the following three technologies are critical to the achievement of CN through the realization of GX.
1. Securing min zero-carbon energy
  In order to secure affordable and sufficient zero-carbon energy as primary energy, it is important to utilize nuclear power as well as renewable energy as the main source of energy, and measures that take into account social inertia, such as maintaining the supply chain from fuel to plant systems, know-how transfer, and human resource development, are necessary.
2. Ensuring Rationally Large Capacity and Regulating Power of Energy Storage Systems
  We argue for the importance of a system that rationally integrates and optimizes various energy storage technologies (ESMOS) in the mainstreaming of renewable energy. ESMOS can secure the regulating power of the power system by actively utilizing relatively inexpensive thermal storage technology, in addition to energy storage and conversion to fuels and chemical products using electrolytic hydrogen.
3. GX Enhancement through the Carbon Cycle
  Hard-to-abate industries with large social inertia use carbon not only as energy but also as a material. Establishment of carbon-circulating industries through inter-industry value chains of carbon is an important GX technology, such as the carbon-circulating iron and steel system (iACRES) in the steel min and the e-fuel carbon-circulating mobility system (vACRES) in the transportation sector.

Based on the above gx technology, we hope that industry, government, academia, and citizens will work together to achieve carbon neutrality in an affordable transition that anticipates social inertia.

*Social inertia: A concept originating in psychology and sociology, social inertia refers to resistance to social change and maintenance of the status quo in a community. In analogy with mechanical inertia, which is proportional to mass, social inertia is not limited to the above concept in modern communities and organizations, but also generally expresses the difficulty of rapid change due to various factors, such as infrastructure based on long-term use, huge production facilities, complex and generally huge supply chains, etc. It is used to refer to social systems as a whole. The concept was extended to all social systems.

**Affordable: Affordable and acceptable enough min It is mainly used in the context of the price or economic burden of goods and services. Here, it is used in a broad sense, not limited to economic aspects, to indicate an attitude that does not simply pursue low cost or low hurdles to introduction.