ATOMIS CEO CEO Daisuke Asari
This series introduces initiatives for PCP social implementation.In the second part, we will pay attention to the latest PCP, which aims to reform energy infrastructure with high efficiency storage of industrial gas.Cubitan is an abbreviation of "CUBIC TANK" developed at the startup atomis from Kyoto University, and is a cube -shaped gas container that is expected to greatly overturn the concept of gas cylinders.In the second part, we will ask ATOMIS CEO Asari about the company's efforts to develop business models as well as products for the Cubitan Overview and PCP social implementation.
PCP, a century invention of Kyoto University, a special professor of Susumu Kitagawa, which could bring innovation to various industries.Unfortunately, there are no Japanese companies that proceed with the initiatives of its practical use, while startups around the world are undergoing research and development, and technology from Japan is about to leak overseas.。Professor Kitagawa, who was worried about this, started up, and established Atomis Co., Ltd. as a startup company from Kyoto University to promote social implementation led by Japan.As a result of R & D, the company established mass production technology by new synthesis methods.We have pioneered the full -scale practical use of PCP.And now, with a new invention that applies PCP, it is trying to make a major change in society.
"I think the real pleasure of startups is to be able to cut into businesses that large companies are untouched or overlooked. As a result of our research, it was the industrial gas field. It was, "said Daisuke Asari, CEO of Atomis. Various industrial gases, such as oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, are used in factories, hospitals, restaurants, etc., but their supply has not changed for many years. It is a supply chain that has been established to carry industrial gas manufactured by four major gas makers to 1,500 dealers nationwide by tank trolley, subdivide it into high -pressure gas cylinders and deliver it to each office. At present, however, the aging of the population is due to shortage of carriers and inefficient logistics, and the industry is shrinking. "The industrial gas industry is an old industry that is said to have not occurred for 100 years. The main reason is that the price of gas cylinders is very low, but there are no other benefits. It is difficult to transport a bulky gas cylinder, and to check the remaining amount, you must look at the meter. If you apply PCP, you may be able to fundamentally change the inefficient industrial gas industry. With that in mind, we proceeded with R & D and completed "CUBITAN (R) (Cubitan)" "(Mr. Asari).
Cubitan stands for "Cubic Tank". As you can see from the name, it is a cube -shaped gas container that greatly overturns the concept of gas cylinders. It is a 28cm square cube and weighs a very compact of 10 kg, but it can compress and store the same amount of gas as a conventional gas cylinder with a height of 150cm in diameter 25cm. The secret is a PCP filled inside the container. Based on the 15,000 types of crystal structural databases that have accumulated so far, we have developed a PCP with a huge surface area of one or more soccer coats per 1g. By filling the gas molecules in the hole so that the molecules of gas are regularly arranged, gas can be stored with a small volume and low pressure. There is also the advantage that taking such a storage method can safely store high -fire gas like acetylene. "It's compact and lightweight, and the handle is attached in consideration of ease of holding, so the ease of transportation is different. Also, because it has a cube -shaped structure, it can be loaded up, and the space when installed is installed. It will not be taken. In addition to developing containers, functions that are considering efficiency of distribution and storage are added. Equipped with IoT modules with functions such as GPS, gas meters, temperature, Wi-Fi. In addition to being able to manage gas inventory and leakage from a distance, optimization of delivery routes and visualization of energy saving. In the future, drones are used to make use of these functions. I want to respond to the automation of logistics by robots. "(Mr. Asari)
Cubitan has excellent performance, but atomis does not intend to sell the container itself and monetize it.The aim of realizing is the GaaS (GAS AS ASA Service) business model that builds a new gas supply chain and provides services such as information management."The current size of Japan's gas is 500 billion yen for industrial gas dealing with oxygen and nitrogen, and 3 in LP gas including propane gas..5 trillion yen, the so -called city gas, natural gas, 5 trillion yen.Among them, the ratio of gas cylinders is 40 billion yen for industrial gas and 2 for LP gas..It has a large share of 3 trillion yen. In addition to this, it is expected that hydrogen gas will grow to a market size of about 10 trillion yen in the future. What we are looking at is the construction of a new energy infrastructure mainly based on the hydrogen gas. " We are taking a method of transmitting power in bulk power. However, a large -scale transmission line net is essential, and it costs a huge maintenance cost. Currently, the introduction of renewable energy is being promoted, but it is necessary to add the transmission line network, which is more expensive. In other words, the renewable energy and the transmission wire net are traded off. On the other hand, atomis is trying to build a "distributed -independent grid". "Distributed independent grid is a new energy infrastructure that does not rely on transmission line networks that perform solar power and biomass power in each home. Converts electricity into energy gas such as methane and hydrogen and store it in Cubitan. By doing so, it can be used as a packet of energy. It can be used again to electricity, and if it is methane gas, it can be used as a fuel. Performing the excess power with cubitan and sharing energy between individuals. That is the ideal future society we envision "(Mr. Asari) The development of hydrogen stations is now on the realization of a hydrogen society. Asari says that it is not necessary to use Cubitan. "We believe that cubitan can be applied to mobility. If you replace the cubitan packed with hydrogen, you can replenish the energy of hydrogen cars without going to the hydrogen station, and by sharing the container, the vehicle body. It is also possible to lower the price. In this way, Cubitan has a great potential for the future decarbonized society "(Mr. Asari).
大きな期待が寄せられるキュビタンですが、実用化に向けていくつかのハードルをクリアしなくてはなりません。最初の課題は高圧ガス保安法の認可を取得することです。現在の法律では、ガスを貯蔵する容器内にPCPのようなガス吸着剤を入れることが認められていないのです。「そのため、まずはPCPを入れない容器のみのベータ版キュビタンで実証実験を行い、その後ガス吸着剤を含んだメタンガスキュビタンの認可を申請し、2023年には発売開始する計画です。2029年には、水素ガスキュビタンの認可を取得するスケジュールで開発を進めています」（浅利氏）PCPの魅力をアピールするだけでは企業は興味を持ってくれないと浅利氏は言います。キュビタンのような製品とビジネスモデルを開発し、何が可能になり、どれだけのマーケットを開拓できるか提示することで初めて、企業を巻き込み、社会実装を推進していくことが可能になるのです。恩師の研究成果で世の中を変えようとする門下生たちの試みは、着実に実を結ぼうとしています。参考情報・CubiTanは、株式会社Atomisの登録商標です。文/高須賀哲写真/嶺竜一
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