Japan's hydrogen highway is a network of hydrogen filling stations placed along roadsides that provide fuel for

hydrogen fuel cell vehicles A hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel Hydrogen fuel refers to hydrogen which is burned as fuel with oxygen. It is zero-carbon, provided that it is created in a process that does not involve carbon. It can be used in fuel cells o ...

(HFCV). An HFCV is a vehicle that uses a

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...

to convert hydrogen energy into electrical energy. The hydrogen that is used in fuel cell vehicles can be made using fossil or renewable resources. The hydrogen highway is necessary for HFCVs to be used. HFCV reduce tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases.Maeda, Akira
Fuel Cell Technologies in the Japanese National Innovation System
29 September 2003. Retrieved on 1 February 2011. By May 2016, there were approximately 80 hydrogen fueling stations in Japan.

Japanese hydrogen powered cars

Since 2014,

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

and

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

have begun to introduce Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) that convert hydrogen into electricity while only emitting water vapor at the tailpipe. FCV sales are limited by the need for a Hydrogen supply infrastructure network. This network's purpose would be to make the purchase of hydrogen powered vehicles more appealing to the public.

Development

The first two hydrogen fueling stations were built for the Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC) Expo, to promote the usage of hydrogen fuel, in March 2005. The fuel stations were displayed in two different sides in the city of Seto (Seto-North and Seto-South). This Expo for introducing hydrogen fuel cell technology proved effective as over 1,300 kg of fuel was dispensed from the stations. At the end of 2012 there where 17

hydrogen station A hydrogen station is a storage or filling station for Hydrogen. The hydrogen is dispensed by weight. There are two filling pressures in common use. H70 or 700 bar, and the older standard H35 or 350 bar. As of 2021 around 550 filling stations were ...

s. The Japanese government planned to add up to 100 public hydrogen stations under a budget of 460 million dollars covering 50% of the installation costs with the last ones hoped to be operational in 2015. JX Energy expected to install 40 stations by 2015.

Toho Gas , commonly written as 東邦ガス, is a Japanese gas company based in Nagoya, Japan. It supplies gas to the Tōkai region, especially the Chūkyō metropolitan area. It is also one of Nagoya's "four influential companies" along with Meitetsu, Mat ...

and Iwatani Corp expected to install an additional 20 stations.

Toyota Tsusho is a sōgō shōsha (trading company), a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho has a worldwide presence through its many subsidiaries and operating divisions, including over 150 offices, and 900 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. ...

and

Air Liquide Air Liquide S.A. (; ; literally "liquid air"), is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, after Linde it is ...

made a JV to build 2 hydrogen stations hoped to be ready by 2015. A "task force" led by

Yuriko Koike is a Japanese politician who currently serves as the Governor of Tokyo since 2016. She graduated from the American University in Cairo in 1976 and was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from 1993 until 2016, when she resigned to ...

, Japan's former environment minister, and supported by the country's Liberal Democratic Party was set up to guide the process. By May 2016, there were approximately 80 hydrogen fueling stations in Japan.

Creators of the JHFC

The members from the government branch are * Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry * Agency of Natural Resources and Energy * Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) Member from a semi-governmental organization * New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Member of Public Research * National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Member of Private Firm * Fuel Cell Commercialization Conference of Japan

Reasons for Japan's investment in fuel cells

The two motivations for the research and development of fuel cells were because of the energy policy and the industrial policy. * Energy policy ** Create/Find a new source of renewable energy ** Stay technologically competitive with other companies *** Many countries are seeing how efficient Fuel Cells are which is why Japan seeks to expand their investments in the Fuel Cell industry * Environmental Issues ** Slow

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

*** Japan, like the rest of the world, seeks to reduce green house gas emissions by using "safer" forms of energy. * Industrial policy ** Maintain a competitive economy through advanced technology *** Fuel cells are profitable, being well invested in such and industry will give Japan an advantage economically speaking

Supporters

The cost of these Hydrogen gas stations is not cheap so there are many car and oil companies that are supporting this transition. There are 13 main companies that are paying for the new source of fuel.Nissan Global
Coalition of 13 Japanese Companies Come Together for Hydrogen Vehicles
Future Cars, 31 January 2011. Retrieved on 1 February 2011. * Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) * Nissan Motor Company * Honda Motor Company * JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation * Idemitsu Kosan Company * Iwatani Corporation * Osaka Gas Company * Cosmo Oil Company * Saibu Gas Company * Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. * Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation * Tokyo Gas Company * Toho Gas Company

References

{{Reflist Roads in Japan Hydrogen infrastructure Hydrogen economy Highways