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  2. Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Future City
  3. Exhibition themes

Envision a happy future for our planet from two “journeys to the future.”

Explore the themes of our
Future City exhibit
at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan!

Whether you’ve seen the exhibit
and would like a recap,
or want to get an idea of what it’s
about before you go,
why not explore the future of resources
and energy with us!

The Journey of Water

A futuristic water
management system
that maximizes the gift of
water and protects us against threats,
making life safe, secure and prosperous

  • Q1 What benefits will this bring?

    By providing water resources where
    and when they are needed,
    this system will help to solve water
    shortages and flooding issues,
    enriching the lives of people who live
    in river basin areas.

    News reports tell us of an alarming rise in natural disasters all over the world. In Japan, flooding and heavy rain caused by typhoons and linear precipitation zone, and resulting damage to infrastructure, have increased rapidly since the year 2000. Meanwhile, the amount of usable freshwater in groundwater, rivers and lakes makes up just 0.8% of the Earth’s total water. Now more than ever, it is vital to find ways to use water resources effectively.
    The water on planet Earth is constantly circulating. Water from oceans and rivers evaporates by the heat of the sun, forms clouds in the sky, then falls to the ground as rain or snow, and collects as rivers that flow to the ocean. The water that we use is one part of this circulating water. This means that to build a sustainable society, it is important to properly manage water resources and maintain a healthy water cycle.
    As well as contributing to sustainable economic activities by supplying water resources from forests and rivers to where and when they are needed, the water management system will help to prevent and mitigate disasters like flooding. It will also lead to recovery and conservation of the ecosystems of rivers and waterways.

    Illustration of the water cycle
  • Q2 What’s happening now?

    Water management systems already
    exist, but we want to create
    a more advanced system to
    comprehensively manage the water cycle.

    Currently, water management systems are used to centrally manage water in agricultural waterways, rice fields, and balancing ponds. Based on information about water levels and flow rates, the system can suggest the optimum way of operating sluice gates to reduce supply when there is sufficient water and increase supply when there is a shortage, contributing to a stable supply of water resources for agricultural use.
    There are also dam and river management systems, which use information about rainfall, water levels and flow rates to predict reservoir volumes and water level fluctuations. Operating sluice gates based on these results supports the efficient use of water resources, such as flood control during heavy rains and water conservation.
    But these existing systems usually involve operators on site making the final decisions and actually operating sluice gates. As flooding and water shortages are predicted to become more frequent and more severe in future, we need a system that can quickly mitigate flooding risks with as little human involvement as possible. As well as refining existing systems, we must integrate them with solutions such as weather observation technology and remote and automatic operation of sluice gates, creating a more advanced system to comprehensively manage the water cycle.

    Illustration of a current water management system
  • Q3 What’s so difficult about making this a reality?

    There are challenges at both the phase
    of understanding water,
    and the phase of storing and
    distributing water.

    Understanding water

    In order to manage water resources for the whole river basin, it is vital to properly understand water resources.

    • Amount of water resources : How much water is currently stored in dams and reservoirs? Is this amount increasing or decreasing?
    • Amount of water required : How much water is required, where and when, for agriculture, industry and domestic use?

    We need to combine these predictions with accurate weather prediction to fully understand water resources.

    Illustration of properly understanding water resources

    Storing and distributing water

    Water needs to be stored using dams, reservoirs and ponds, and properly distributed so that exactly the right amount of water is provided to where it is needed.

    • Real-time information sharing and utilization : Sharing information about the state of rivers and dams so that sluice gates can be operated based on more accurate information
    • Remote operation and automatic operation : Systems allowing infrastructure to be operated quickly and safely

    As well as a lack of operators due to labor shortages and the ageing population, more severe and more frequent flooding due to climate change is making the job harder.

    Illustration of water storage and distribution
  • Q4 How is IHI addressing these challenges?

    We are developing technologies and
    solutions and bringing them together
    to create a water management system
    that will not only help to prevent and
    mitigate disasters,
    but will also enrich people’s lives.

    Understanding water

    ●Technology to obtain high-resolution rainfall data

    We are harnessing high-density weather observation technology (POTEKA), as well as AI analysis and satellite observation technology currently being developed, to ascertain the movement of water that cannot be seen: groundwater and water vapor. Using real-time observation to spot signs of weather changes like linear precipitation bands, more detailed rainfall data and more accurate rainfall predictions will enable us to propose the optimal way to operate infrastructure.

    Storing and distributing water

    ●Operation support system to remotely/automatically operate sluice gates in the event of heavy rain

    We are developing support systems to remotely and automatically operate sluice gates in the event of heavy rain, which is usually done by operators on site; technology to automate decision-making by operators based on the conditions on site; and diagnostic technology to identify deterioration of aging sluice gate facilities.

    Illustration of futuristic water management system
  • Find out more

The Journey of Fire

Clean energy system using
fuel ammonia
to transform power
generation
as a step toward a
zero-carbon future

  • Q1 What benefits will this bring?

    Replacing the fossil fuels used to
    generate power with fuel ammonia
    will significantly reduce CO2 emissions,
    helping to achieve a carbon neutral
    society.

    Over 120 countries and regions have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050. Globally, there are calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in every sector.
    Thermal power generation is vital to ensuring a stable supply of electricity, but the fossil fuels currently used, like coal and natural gas, emit CO2 when burned. The power generation sector accounts for around 40% of Japan’s total CO2 emissions, most of which comes from thermal power generation*1. To achieve net zero, it is necessary to reduce CO2 emissions from thermal power plants.
    IHI believes that ammonia is the answer. Ammonia is a carbon-free fuel, which means it does not emit CO2 when burned. Ammonia is already widely used around the world as a raw material in fertilizers and other chemicals, so the technologies for its production, transportation and storage are well established. Being able to use ammonia as fuel for thermal power generation would slash CO2 emissions. That’s why ammonia is expected to come into use in the near future as a next-generation energy source.

    Illustration of thermal power generation using fuel ammonia
  • Q2 What’s happening now?

    Thermal power generation is vital to
    ensuring a stable supply of electricity,
    but it mainly uses fossil fuels, so it
    needs to be decarbonized.

    The main fuels used in thermal power generation are fossil fuels: oil, coal and natural gas. Coal in particular is a cheap and plentiful resource, but its high CO2 emissions has a huge environmental impact.
    Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power generation are being introduced, but the amount of power to be generated is unstable over time, plus there are difficulties in storing the electricity produced on a large scale. To ensure a stable electricity supply, thermal power generation is indispensable, as it allows the amount of power generated to be flexibly adjusted.
    This is why attention has turned to replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources like hydrogen and ammonia, which do not emit CO2 when burned. Ammonia is easier to transport and store than hydrogen, so it is expected to come into practical use sooner.

    Illustration of stable power supply by thermal power generation
  • Q3 What’s so difficult about making this a reality?

    The challenges are developing
    technology
    for clean and stable
    combustion of ammonia,
    and putting an ammonia supply chain
    into place.

    Technology for clean and
    stable combustion of ammonia

    It is difficult to make ammonia burn in a stable way. If burned without putting measures in place, it emits nitrogen oxides (NOx) which cause air pollution. Advanced ammonia combustion technology is required to solve these issues.

    Illustration of reducing nitrogen oxides by improving the combustion method

    Putting an ammonia supply chain into place

    In 2019, around 200 million tons of ammonia were produced globally, of which the trade volume was around 20 million tons; the rest is consumed locally, for use in fertilizers or chemical products. In future, if all Japan’s major power companies were to substitute 20% of fuel with ammonia at all thermal power plants, this would require approximately 20 million tons of ammonia annually*2. To meet growing demand, as well as facilities to produce large quantities of ammonia, we will need to establish systems to transport and store ammonia on a larger scale than ever before.

    Illustration of transportation and storage facilities to meet growing demand
  • Q4 How is IHI addressing these challenges?

    We are developing ammonia
    combustion technology,
    as well as technologies to produce,
    transport and store green ammonia.

    Development of
    ammonia combustion technology

    IHI is developing advanced ammonia combustion technology to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). We have started testing this technology, substituting fossil fuels with ammonia in gas turbines, coal-fired power plants and marine engines, and these tests are going well.
    In June 2022, natural gas was replaced completely with liquid ammonia to fuel the 2,000-kilowatt-class gas turbine at IHI Yokohama Office & Works. Emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases were reduced by over 99%, achieving CO2-free power generation*3.
    In June 2024, we conducted the world’s first demonstration testing of fuel ammonia substitution at a large-scale commercial coal-fired power plant. 20% of coal was successfully substituted with ammonia at Unit 4 of JERA’s Hekinan Thermal Power Station in Aichi Prefecture (rated output: 1 million kW) *4.
    It has been estimated that if all Japan’s major power companies were to substitute 20% of fuel with ammonia at all their coal-fired power plants, annual CO2 emissions would be reduced by 40 million tons; and if all these coal-fired power plants were replaced with 100% ammonia power plants, annual CO2 emissions would be reduced by 200 million tons*5.
    IHI has also begun on replacing fossil fuels with ammonia to fuel ships. A tugboat equipped with an ammonia-fueled engine developed by IHI was completed and tested in August 2024. After the demonstration, the tugboat is now in commercial use*6.

    IHI’s ammonia-fired 2,000-kilowatt-class
    gas turbine IM270

    Image of ammonia combustion

    Production of green ammonia

    Hydrogen is a raw material of ammonia. When hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, CO2 is emitted during the production process. Therefore, "green ammonia,” which uses hydrogen produced by renewable energy such as solar power, is attracting a lot of attention.
    IHI is working with countries around the world to produce green ammonia.

    Illustration of green ammonia production process

    Development of transportation and
    storage technology

    We are working hard to develop a large-scale ammonia receiving terminal that will be capable of receiving large quantities of imported ammonia, drawing on expertise gained from IHI’s extensive involvement in the construction of liquid natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals and storage tanks.
    As for transportation, we are taking part in a project to develop an ammonia transportation ship equipped with a domestically produced ammonia-fueled engine, aiming to achieve decarbonization and mass transportation at the same time.

    Image diagram of storage tanks

    Ammonia-fueled ship to transport ammonia

  • Find out more

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