At COP 21, held in Paris in November 2015, major countries around the world came to an agreement to reduce CO 2 (Paris Agreement). Hydrogen can contribute to CO2 reduction in various ways. Japan is leading the initiative to create a hydrogen society with the concrete vision on hydrogen energy.
Importance of hydrogen
Hydrogen energy is already widely in use in Japan. What future does the hydrogen society hold for us?
Here are a list of ways that Hydrogen can benefit our lives:
- Energy savings - Fuel cells, which produces electricity from hydrogen, are highly efficient, resulting in significant energy savings
- Reliable energy supply - Because hydrogen can be produced from various sources creating energy diversity, it contributes to improving energy security in Japan.
- Environmental impact – Hydrogen produces zero CO2 emission at the point of use, and by concentrating its production, improving efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy, we can work towards lowering the environmental impact.
- Industry booster - Because Japan has strong competitive advantages on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, promotion of hydrogen energy will create new business and industry opportunities in Japan.
Japan’s Policy
To promote hydrogen energy, it is necessary to have a common vision on hydrogen in the future, and a common understanding on future automobile society. To realize a low-carbon society with hydrogen energy, Japanese Government has announced Basic Hydrogen Strategy in December, 2017, aiming to accomplish a world-leading hydrogen-based society.
In December 2020, Japanese Government announced “Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050”, which defines 14 growth sectors, including hydrogen. Hydrogen market, including existing 2 million tons, is expected to increase up to 3 million tons in 2030, and ca. 20 million tons in 2050.
from: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, December 2020
https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2020/1225_001.html
Policy Links
-
Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
““Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050” Formulated” (December 25, 2020)
https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2020/1225_001.html(from website)The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) formulated a “Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050” in collaboration with related ministries and agencies. This strategy is an industrial policy to lead the challenging goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, a vision that is upheld by the Suga administration and aims toward a positive cycle of economic growth and the environmental protection.
-
Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
“Basic Hydrogen Strategy Determined” (December 26, 2017)
https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2017/1226_003.html(from website)On December 26, 2017, the Ministerial Council on Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Related Issues held its second meeting and decided on a Basic Hydrogen Strategy to accomplish a world-leading hydrogen-based society.
-
Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “Compilation of the Revised Version of the Strategic Roadmap for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells” (March 22, 2016)
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2016/0322_05.html(from website)For the purpose of revising the Strategic Roadmap for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, which was formulated in June 2014, the Council for a Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, consisting of experts from industry, academia, and government, has continued discussions since 2015. On March 22, 2016, the Council released a revised version of the Roadmap including new goals and specific explanations of efforts to be made.
-
Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “METI has compiled a Strategic Road Map for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells” (June 24, 2014)
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2014/0624_04.html(from website)In December 2013, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) established a Council for a Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, and since then the council has been studying ideal approaches to the future utilization of hydrogen energy, through collaboration between industry, academia and government. On June 23, 2014, the council compiled measures to be taken by people involved in realizing a hydrogen society into a Strategic Road Map for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, and METI hereby publicizes the road map.
-
Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “Working Group on CO2-Free Hydrogen Compiled a Report” (March 7, 2017)
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2017/0307_003.html(from website)The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) established a Working Group on CO2-Free Hydrogen under the Council for a Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. Since May 2016, the working group has been holding discussions, aiming at the future expansion of CO2-free hydrogen utilization. METI hereby announces that the working group has compiled the results of their discussions into a report, describing streamlined current challenges and other tasks, and the direction of future efforts.
-
Country Update - Japan
https://www.iphe.net/japan
Hydrogen Stations
-
List of Commercial hydrogen Stations in Japan (Regularly updated, in Japanese)
http://fccj.jp/hystation/index.html#hystop
Hydrogen-related Organizations
-
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
http://www.nedo.go.jp/english/index.html(from website)Following the two oil crises of the 1970s, the need for energy diversification increased. Against this backdrop, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) was established as a governmental organization in 1980 to promote the development and introduction of new energy technologies. Research and development of industrial technology was later added, and today NEDO is active in a wide variety of areas as one of the largest public research and development management organizations in Japan.
NEDO’s Missions
NEDO plays an important part in Japan's economic and industrial policies as one of the largest public research and development management organizations. It has two basic missions: addressing energy and global environmental problems, and enhancing industrial technology. -
Japan H2 Mobility, abbreviation (JHyM)
https://www.jhym.co.jp/en/(from website)The government, working on the development of hydrogen as a next-generation energy source, designed a policy to promote the hydrogen supply infrastructure for Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) expansion in “The Strategic Road Map for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells” and “Basic Hydrogen Strategy” in order to build a social basis that should utilize hydrogen. Along with this initiative, private companies, such as HRS companies, automobile manufacturers, financial institutions and other stakeholders decided to cooperate.
As the result, in February 2018, the Japan Hydrogen Station Network Joint Company (Japan H2 Mobility, abbreviation: JHyM) was established. To accelerate the development of HRS in this early stage of FCV expansion, we JHyM will contribute to further facilitation of FCV and HRS, and improve convenience for FCV users. -
The Association of Hydrogen Supply and Utilization Technology (HySUT)
http://hysut.or.jp/en/index.html(from website)The predecessor of HySUT as a research association had been engaged in developing the technologies for commercial hydrogen stations since July, 2009. As FCVs were launched and corresponding hydrogen stations have been built in Japan, HySUT was reborn in February, 2016 to be an industrial association to develop and promote hydrogen infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles.
-
Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center (NeV)
http://www.cev-pc.or.jp/english/(from website)NeV, complying with the system established by the government, promotes electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, clean diesel vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. The Center also promotes installation of the charging facilities necessary to power electric vehicles, as well as hydrogen fueling stations for fuel cell vehicles.
-
Fuel Cell Commercialization Conference of Japan (FCCJ)
http://fccj.jp/eng/index.html(from website)Since its foundation in 2001, the FCCJ has been proactively engaged in the research and development as well as the promotion of fuel cell technologies by providing a forum for a number of private companies and entities to hold private-sector level discussion and examination of the commercialization and popularization of fuel cells. In the field of technology development, we are cooperating with the government to draw up policies to aid in the development of fuel cells by inspecting conventional regulations and suggesting revisions to bring them up to international standards. By doing so, we hope to provide a concrete path for the acceleration of fuel cell commercialization.
-
Enefarm Partners (in Japanese)
http://www.gas.or.jp/user/comfortable-life/enefarm-partners/Enefarm sales (As of March, 2021)
From:http://www.gas.or.jp/user/comfortable-life/enefarm-partners/common/data/20210427_web.pdf
Other information site for Hydrogen
-
Tokyo Suiso-miru
https://www.tokyo-suisomiru.jp/language/en/(from website)About "Tokyo Suiso-miru" The hydrogen information center "Tokyo Hydrogen Museum (Tokyo Suiso-miru)" (meaning "viewing hydrogen") is a facility where visitors can enjoy learning hydrogen, which is actually invisible, and see the future image of a potential hydrogen society while "viewing, touching and experiencing" hydrogen.
On the second floor are an open library with exhibition booths that introduce the latest technologies and products, a lecture room that can be used for a wide range of purposes, and power generation devices with which visitors can generate hydrogen themselves using bicycles.