Launch of Suntory’s Green Hydrogen Park Hakushu: A New Journey in Energy “Born from Water, Returning to Water”

Driven by our corporate message of “Sustained by Nature and Water,” Suntory Group has continued undertaking water replenishment activities such as the Suntory Natural Water Sanctuary project. Suntory stands committed to protecting water, using it carefully, and returning it to nature. As part of this, Suntory is taking our first step in producing green hydrogen in-house. In the future, we intend to undertake the entire value chain, from production to sales, the first such initiative in Japan.
Kazuki Matsumoto of Suntory Holdings' Sustainability Management Division has played a key role in the launch of Green Hydrogen Park Hakushu project which began verification testing in October 2025. In this edition, he talks about his passion toward realizing a hydrogen society and his journey in producing green hydrogen.

Pioneering the Future: Green Hydrogen Park Hakushu Opens as Japan's Largest Class Hydrogen Production Facility

This October, construction was completed on Green Hydrogen Park Hakushu, located next to the Suntory Minami Alps Hakushu Water Plant and Suntory Hakushu Distillery in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture. The facility houses the Yamanashi Model Power-to-Gas (P2G) System, Japan's largest hydrogen production with a capacity of 16 megawatts. This project was carried out as a collaboration among Yamanashi Prefecture and a consortium of 10 companies, including Suntory. The facility is set to produce green hydrogen, an energy created from water using renewable energy. It is an energy source full of the gifts of nature, with zero CO₂ emissions from production to use. As a first step, this energy will be used at the Suntory Minami Alps Hakushu Water Plant. In the future, Suntory plans to undertake the entire value chain, from production to sales, to share it widely with society.
When I first joined Suntory, I oversaw designing and installing equipment at our beer brewery in Gunma Prefecture, responsible for energy and water conservation. After that, I moved to the development and quality departments, and when I returned to equipment-related work, I was approached by Yamanashi Prefecture to work on a project for a green hydrogen production system, the Yamanashi Model Power-to-Gas (P2G) System. Although I had experience with energy and water conservation, hydrogen was a new area for me. Moreover, it was Suntory's first venture into energy production, starting from scratch with no prior experience.

Matsumoto said he was surprised when he first heard about the launch of the green hydrogen production project. Despite the initial apprehension of stepping into an unfamiliar area, the project gradually deepened his knowledge and understanding of hydrogen energy, motivating him to promote and expand its potential.

As a Company Sustained by Nature and Water: Suntory’s Choice of Hydrogen

Suntory's approach to hydrogen is based on our Corporate Philosophy, “to inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature.” This purpose is the foundation on which our business activities are built.
Suntory is a company that is supported by water and nature, creating products using the gifts of water and nature and delivering them to consumers. That is why we have been working for many years to protect and nurture water and forests. However, due to changes in the global environment caused by climate change and other factors, this natural cycle is being threatened. As Suntory has set ambitious targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at our owned sites by 50% by 2030 and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions throughout the value chain by 2050, we have now turned our attention to hydrogen to help reach these targets. Hydrogen is a clean energy source that does not emit CO₂ when burned and can be produced using only water and electricity. The cycle of being “Born from Water, Returning to Water” is also connected to Suntory's Corporate Philosophy and business activities. However, until now, the cost has been a major barrier, making it difficult for a single company to produce hydrogen even if there was interest. It was against this backdrop that Yamanashi Prefecture reached out to us. Water cultivated through Suntory's water replenishment activities and renewable energy from Yamanashi Prefecture's hydroelectric and solar power sources - by combining the two together, Suntory Green Hydrogen emits no CO₂ not only during use but also during the manufacturing process, opening the door to new possibilities toward realizing a net-zero society. This goes to show that possibilities can expand when we collaborate with various stakeholders to accomplish something that cannot be achieved as a single company alone. By collaborating with local governments like on this project, we hope to utilize local resources and contribute to the development and revitalization of regions by promoting local industry and environmental education.

On October 11, a ceremony was held at Hakushu to launch the verification test, marking the full-scale start of the Suntory Group's newest initiative toward a sustainable future: “Green Hydrogen.”

The Yatte Minahare Spirit Supports This Unprecedented Challenge

Since we were taking on a challenge that we had no experience with before, moving the project forward was by no means easy. In a normal facility installation, the finished product would simply be purchased and installed in the factory, but in this project, Yamanashi Prefecture and 10 companies cooperated, each contributing their own technologies, to create new equipment through repeated demonstration trials. Since each has different policies and themes, coordinating schedules and priorities proved to be difficult. Despite facing various obstacles, I believe the driving force that allowed us to take on the challenge of being the first in Japan to cover the entire process from hydrogen production to sales was the Yatte Minahare spirit passed down from Suntory’s founding. I was reminded that continuing to take on the challenge of creating new value without fear of failure is exactly what Suntory is all about.

Green Hydrogen Park Hakushu is something that could not have been achieved by a single company alone. The facility symbolizes the collaboration between Yamanashi Prefecture and 10 companies with different areas of expertise, taking a step into the future.

Pursuing the Exciting Possibilities of Hydrogen and Communicating Them in a Concise Manner

In order to share hydrogen widely with society, we first need to let people know. What is essential here is not just production and usage, but also communication. The important thing is to convey information about hydrogen precisely and in an easy-to-understand manner. As a company widely known for selling soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, one may ask, “Why is Suntory looking to hydrogen energy?” This question has attracted the interest of many people and is a gateway to understanding.
In fact, we have received comments from the general public saying this is a meaningful initiative, but awareness is still not high enough. Therefore, in addition to public relations, we have also begun disseminating information on familiar platforms, such as through our official TikTok account. Furthermore, if we provide an opportunity for people to learn about the process of producing, transporting and using through firsthand experiences, such as factory tours, they will be able to deepen their understanding while having fun. Suntory handles products that people touch directly in their daily lives, which is why we are able to communicate the value and potential of hydrogen in a concise manner. If we communicate effectively, I'm sure everyone will be excited about the future that can be realized with hydrogen.

Born from Water, Returning to Water; green hydrogen is a magical energy source filled with the gifts of nature. The first step in the Hakushu Sanctuary serves as a guidepost for moving forward in improving the natural environment and become a force for nurturing the future.

Starting Today for the Sake of the Children 100 Years From Now

Hydrogen is a truly reliable energy source with many hidden possibilities. Because hydrogen is a simple molecule, it can be used in a wide range of applications if handled correctly. However, it is not superior in all respects, so rather than using it for everything, it is important to use it in the right place for the appropriate purpose, in conjunction with other forms of energy. That's why we would like to start by building a track record of how to most effectively utilize hydrogen.
There have been many hurdles in this journey and I'm sure there will be more in the future. However, I believe that all of these steps will lead to continued growth for myself and Suntory Group, and will increase our ability to do good for society.
One of Suntory Group's values is “Giving Back to Society;” i.e., the idea that we give back from what our business earns, not only by reinvesting in our company, but by caring for our customers and partners and contributing to society. Suntory Group wants to be the source of a society where each individual's way of thinking and actions can change and improve the natural environment both effortlessly and enjoyably. To that end, we will continue our efforts to establish green hydrogen as a part of our daily lives and to develop it into a beacon illuminating the future. Completion of Green Hydrogen Park Hakushu is not the goal; rather, this is just the beginning. Green Hydrogen Park Hakushu marks a new journey toward realizing a hydrogen society, from the starting line located in a place surrounded by vast forests and blessed with abundant clean water.